By Khalida Sarwari
Santa Cruz police are seeking the public’s help in locating two men suspected of shooting a 25-year-old man Friday evening.
The victim, a Santa Cruz resident, reported the shooting just before 9 p.m. in the 1300 block of Mission Street.
Arriving officers found the victim suffering from two gunshot wounds to his upper torso. He was airlifted to a trauma center for treatment, police said.
Officers determined from victim and witness statements that the shooting occurred during an altercation between the victim and two rival gang members, police said.
One of the suspects fired his handgun in the direction of the victim while yelling gang slogans, causing the victim to run away.
The suspects fled in a white Volkswagen Jetta sedan but minutes later found the victim walking in the 1200 block of Mission Street, where they drove up and shot him, police said.
The Jetta was last seen traveling east toward Laurel Street.
The victim described the suspects as two Hispanic males in their late teens or early 20s, one wearing a white T-shirt and the other wearing a brown T-shirt.
The victim remains in stable condition.
Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact the Police Department’s investigation section at (831) 420-5820. Anonymous tips can be left at (831) 420-5995.