Teen killed in Salinas shooting

Police are investigating a shooting in Salinas Tuesday night that left one teen dead and two men wounded, according to police.

Officers responded shortly after 8 p.m. to a report of a shooting in the 600 block of Mae Avenue, police said. Arriving officers found a crowd of 75 to 100 people amassed in the street, along with three gunshot victims near the driveway to a house.

A 16-year-old boy was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Medical personnel attempted to treat him, but he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Two 18-year-old men were both suffering from gunshot wounds to their upper bodies and were transported to the Natividad Medical Center, police said. One of the two men had a more severe wound and was later airlifted to another Bay Area hospital for further treatment, according to police.

Despite the large crowd at the scene, police said few witnesses offered information about the shooting. Police said officers did receive some information that the victims were inside a vehicle that was stopped in front a residence, where another vehicle pulled alongside them.

Police said they don’t know if any words were exchanged before one person, or possibly two people, started shooting at the teen and the two men.

Witnesses reportedly offered differing accounts of the suspect vehicle, according to police. Some described the car as a dark colored full-sized SUV, while others said it was a white, full-sized pickup truck.

Salinas police and Monterey County coroner’s officials could not be immediately reached for information regarding the teen’s identity.

The shooting is the fifth homicide in the city this year, police said. Detectives are investigating the incident as gang-related.