NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 14-year-old Ukiah boy for shooting three other teenage boys on Tuesday in what investigators believe to be a gang-related incident.
Lt. Shannon Barney said the teen was arrested on Wednesday afternoon as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident.
Barney said that shortly after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a report of gunfire with three young males being shot at the intersection of Portlock Lane and Lake Mendocino Drive in Ukiah.
The deputies who responded to the area learned two 17-year-old males and one 18-year-old male had all been shot at least one time by what has been described as three young Hispanic males, either in their late teens or early 20s, Barney said.
One victim sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, one a gunshot wound to the leg and the third victim suffered a gunshot wound to the groin area. Barney said the three victims appeared to have been shot while walking on Lake Mendocino Drive.
Barney said all three victims were transported to various hospitals to be treated for their wounds. When deputies contacted the victims, they were uncooperative.
Because the shooting appeared to be gang-related, the Mendocino Multi-Agency Gang Suppression Unit was called to assist the Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives with the investigation, Barney reported.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives, aided by the Mendocino Multi-Agency Gang Suppression Unit and the Mendocino County Probation Department, developed information identifying the shooting suspect in this case as a 14-year-old male who lived in the area, Barney said.
Barney said the investigation led detectives to believe there was an altercation between the suspect, the victims and perhaps additional parties that have yet to be identified.
As of Wednesday, Barney said the 14-year-old suspect was the only person who was identified as having fired a firearm during this incident.
Just before 2 p.m. Wednesday detectives served a search warrant in the 300 Block of Lake Mendocino Drive, Barney said.
Barney said that during the service of that search warrant the teenage suspect arrived home and was taken into custody.
While Barney said detectives believe some of the involved parties are either gang affiliates or gang members, the exact motivation behind the altercation is not clearly known.
The teen suspect was transported and lodged at Juvenile Hall on charges of attempted murder, Barney said.
Barney said the investigation is ongoing and the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is encouraging anyone with pertinent information to contact Mendocino County Sheriff's Communications Center at 707-463-4086 of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Tip Line at 707-234-2100.
REGIONAL: Authorities arrest 14-year-old for Tuesday shooting of three other teenagers
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