2 Men Are Wounded in Separate Shootings

Two men were wounded by gunfire in the Ventura area Friday night in separate altercations that left one victim in critical condition at Ventura County Medical Center and the other hospitalized with two leg wounds, police said.

The most seriously injured, a 28-year-old man whose name was not released, was shot in the back and the bullet exited through his abdomen, said Ventura Police Lt. Pat Miller. He was in critical condition, a hospital nursing supervisor said.

Witnesses gave conflicting accounts of whether the gunman and the victim argued before the shooting, which occurred around 7:30 p.m. on North Ventura Avenue, Miller said. The gunman fled and police did not have a name or description to aid in the search Friday night, Miller said.

Jhon Brent, who manages an auto repair shop on North Ventura Avenue, said he did not see the shooting, but ran to look out the window after he heard a single gunshot. The victim continued to run after he was shot, Brent said.

“He was hobbling around like he couldn’t use one of his legs,” Brent said.

The second shooting victim, identified as 20-year-old Edward Zizumbo, suffered two leg wounds after he was hit by gunfire in the Cabrillo Village neighborhood of Saticoy, said Ventura Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Backman. Friends drove Zizumbo to the Ventura County Medical Center, Backman said. The victim did not see who shot him, Backman said.