1 Man Killed, Another Hurt in Shooting : Crime: Incident, said to be gang-related, is third in as many days in Santa Ana. Two other men died in separate attacks.

A man identified by police as a gang member was shot to death and another was seriously wounded outside a Santa Ana home, the third unsolved fatal shooting in three days that has left the department frustrated.

“It’s truly senseless,” Police Lt. Robert Helton said. “While it’s not typical to have three shootings in three consecutive days, these things happen from time to time. Why they happen, there’s no real explanation.”

Investigators said all three attacks appear to be gang-related, but do not seem to be linked. The shootings occurred in different parts of the city, Helton said, and the victims have no apparent ties.

The third shooting occurred Thursday night in the central section of Santa Ana, in front of Juan Lemus’ home in the 800 block of East Grant Street.

Lemus, 20, and Benjamin Gallardo, 20, of Riverside were standing with several other people about 7 p.m. when shots were fired at the group, police said.

The assailant was standing at the other end of the street when he opened fire on the crowd and then fled on foot, Helton said.

Gallardo was shot in the back of the head and died Friday at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Lemus was shot in the side and underwent surgery at the same hospital Friday.

Helton identified Lemus and Gallardo as gang members and said this was not the first time Lemus has been caught up in street violence.

“Mr. Lemus has been involved in three to four other gang shootings in the last 18 months,” Helton said. “He is not unfamiliar with this kind of violence.”

Two other Santa Ana men were fatally wounded this week by suspected gang members, police said. Ruben Hector Rodriguez, 21, was gunned down Tuesday blocks away from his home by two bicyclists on West Lingan Lane. Francisco Nava, 18, was shot Wednesday as he was leaving a swap meet on South Bristol Street.

“These are just something of a coincidence, probably more than anything else,” Helton said. “When there are connections, we look for similarities in the crime. We look to see if the same people were involved. . . . It’s one of those quirks that we had three shootings in three separate nights.”

To some Santa Ana residents, the shootings come too often for them to feel safe on their own streets.

“I never let my children play outside,” said Maria Ayala, a 31-year-old mother of four. “If they want to go outside they can play in the back yard,” which is fenced off.

On Thursday night, she said she heard about 10 rounds of gunfire and tried to protect her family.

“I was in the kitchen when it happened. When we heard the shots, I told the kids to get down on the ground for cover,” Ayala said.

Standing in her home where steel bars protect her window, she said: “Of the nine years that I have lived here, the shootings are getting worse.”

In the neighborhood where Lemus lives, most of the homes are guarded by watchdogs and metal fences. At Lemus’ house Friday, the white metal fence did nothing to stop the stray bullet that pierced the living room window.

On another street, Roger Ruvalcaba, 23, mourned the loss of his friend, Rodriguez, who died Tuesday. The two had known each other since elementary school. The gang violence makes no sense to him.

“It’s on and off,” said Ruvalcaba, with his 5-year-old daughter standing beside him. “There are times when they are shooting all over the place and then it mellows out. It’s crazy. And it really affects you when it happens to someone you know.”