Two Watsonville shootings target same man

Watsonville police are investigating two shootings on Monday and Tuesday that apparently targeted the same man.

Officers first responded to a report of shots fired into a vehicle in the 200 block of Marchant Street on Monday around 4:50 p.m., police said. Officers arrived at the scene and found the vehicle’s owner, who said he was driving north on Marchant Street where he heard a gunshot, according to police.

The driver, who was uncooperative with investigators, saw his rear window had been shattered and officers found a bullet lodged in the rear seat of the car, police said.

On Tuesday, officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 100 block of Grant Avenue around 8:10 a.m., according to police. Police found a victim at Grant Avenue and Marchant Street and recognized him as the driver in the shooting a day before, police said.

He suffered a gunshot wound in his lower back and was transported to Watsonville Community Hospital, where he is in stable condition, according to police.

The victim told officers he was arguing with someone he knew when someone else shot at him from the opposite direction about five times, police said.

Four schools in the area were placed on lockdown for about 90 minutes as officers searched for the shooting suspect without success, according to police. Officers were also unable to locate the person the victim was arguing with, police said.

Police believe Tuesday’s shooting was gang-related.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Watsonville police at (831) 768-3358 or to leave a tip at (831) 768-3544.