Santa Rosa teen dead after being shot Saturday in possible gang-related fight

A 15-year-old boy who was wounded Saturday during a possible gang-related shooting in Santa Rosa has died, police said Monday.

The boy is the second teenager in as many weeks to die as a result of gun violence potentially connected to gang activity. He was pronounced dead just before 11:45 p.m. Sunday at a hospital, Santa Rosa police Lt. Chris Mahurin said Monday.

The boy’s identity has not yet been released.

The boy had been at the health care facility since Saturday night, after first responders found him just after 8:05 p.m. lying in the street in the 2000 block of Blacksmith Way. Multiple callers there had reported hearing gunshots.

The 15-year-old had multiple gunshot wounds, was bleeding and did not have a pulse, police said. Medical personnel revived him before he was rushed to the hospital.

The other people involved in Saturday’s shooting fled, witnesses told police.

Police later learned two small groups of potential gang members, who were all in their teens and early 20s, got into an argument on Blacksmith Way, near Arrowhead Drive, in the southwest part of the city.

The fight escalated when at least two people — possibly one from each group — pulled out handguns and started shooting, witnesses said.

A few of the shots struck the 15-year-old, who was among one of the groups.

Investigators are still working to determine the number of people involved in the argument, number of shooters and how much each person is involved in gang activity.

Another 15-year-old boy was shot and killed June 16 during a drive-by shooting on Corby Avenue in Santa Rosa. Police are working to determine if Saturday’s fatal shooting is connected to last week’s homicide.

Santa Rosa police do not have information on the suspects to release to the public, and there have been no arrests.

Investigators are asking people who live near where the shooting occurred to check surveillance cameras for related footage or of the suspects fleeing.

A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered by the Sonoma County Alliance Community Engagement and Safety Rewards Fund for information leading to the arrest of a suspect or suspects involved in this shooting.

Witnesses or those with related information are encouraged to contact Santa Rosa Police Department’s Violent Crime Team at 707-543-3590 or online at srcity.org/CrimeTips.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @madi.smals.