East Village shooting leaves one man dead, another wounded, suspect at large

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A shooting in front of San Diego Central Library left one young man dead and another wounded Tuesday.

The gunfire in the 300 block of Park Boulevard erupted at about 12:15 p.m., according to the San Diego Police Department.

Preliminary evidence suggests that just prior to the shooting “there was some sort of interaction or altercation at the entrance to the library between the (shooter) and the victims,” SDPD homicide Lt. Jud Campbell said.

A 20-year-old man died at the scene. His name was withheld pending family notification, Campbell said.

Paramedics took the other victim, 24, to a hospital for treatment of wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers fanned out through the busy downtown area near Petco Park in search of the shooter, with help from personnel aboard a patrol helicopter circling overhead.

The perpetrator remained at large in the late afternoon, according to police.

It was unclear what led to the deadly gunfire, which prompted a closure of the library for the remainder of the day.

A man who identified himself only as Richard told news crews he lives in a high-rise condominium building across the street from the library and heard about five gunshots, which for a moment he “thought were fireworks, maybe from the (San Diego Padres’) ballpark.”

“And I went, `No, that’s something else. … That’s gunshots,”‘ he said.

Richard said he then looked out a window and saw a thin, roughly 6- foot-tall man in black sweatpants and a black pullover shirt running up the street against traffic, looking back over his shoulder.

“And I went, `Ah, he’s up to no good,”‘ the witness said.

Campbell told reporters that the SDPD was doing all it could to identify and apprehend the shooter.

“Obviously, two people shot at the library here in the middle of the day is unacceptable, so we’re devoting all of our resources (to the investigation),” the lieutenant said.