Two people died and three others were sent to the hospital with injuries as a result of a shooting that was possibly gang-related March 26 in Hollister, according to authorities.
Hollister Police identified the deceased victims as Jaime Jesus Gomez, 23, and Daniel Eli Gonzalez, 21. Both were Hollister residents.
No suspects have been arrested or publicly identified in relation to the violence, according to police.
The shooting occurred outside a residence on the 300 block of Rustic Street in northwest Hollister, according to authorities. The violence was reported to Hollister Police at 8:49pm March 26.
Officers responded to the scene and located two young men dead in the driveway of a home, police said.
Another victim at the scene was conscious, and was transported to the hospital by helicopter, says a press release from the Hollister Police Department. Two other injured victims had been transported from the scene to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital in private vehicles before officers arrived. These two victims were later carried to a nearby trauma center—one by helicopter and one by ground ambulance.
Police said the motive and other circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation. The initial investigation revealed the five victims were standing outside the home when a dark colored, compact SUV approached while driving northbound on Rustic Street, according to police. A suspect or suspects opened fire on the group of people as the vehicle passed the home.
Multiple shots were fired, and the vehicle quickly drove away from the home, police said.
The incident is being investigated as a “possible gang-related shooting,” says the press release.
Officers from the San Benito County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol and San Benito County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist with the investigation and scene security, police said. The extra law enforcement presence was initially needed to keep people away from the crime scene.
The assisting officers also helped canvas the area and identify any witnesses, authorities said.
“The Hollister Police Department offers our condolences to the Gomez and Gonzalez family,” says the press release. “We ask anyone with information about this investigation to please call our detectives.”
Anyone with information about this incident can call Hollister Police at 831.636.4331. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call WeTip at 800.78.CRIME. Information provided to WeTip may qualify for a reward.
