1 killed, 2 in custody after separate shootings in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter

A man was shot and killed after someone opened fire during an argument that escalated to a fight on a Gaslamp Quarter sidewalk early Monday, San Diego police said.

The deadly shooting came about 10 minutes after shots were fired in an unrelated incident a few blocks away.

Someone called 911 about 1:55 a.m. to report a shooting at Island and Fifth avenues, San Diego Police Homicide Lt. Michelle Velovich said. Patrol officers in the area also heard the shots.

Police arrived to find a man with trauma to his upper body, she said. The man, who appeared to be 25 to 30 years old, was taken to a hospital, where he died, authorities said. He has not been identified.

Investigators think the victim and the shooter got into an argument that escalated into a fistfight among several people, although it was not immediately clear whether the victim was part of the physical scuffle.

During the fight, someone pulled a gun and shot the victim several times, Velovich said.

The shooter, who was described as wearing shorts and no shirt, jumped into a four-door sedan with two companions and took off.

About 10 minutes before the fatal shooting, another shooting occurred near Seventh Avenue and Market Street, San Diego Police Officer Sarah Foster said. No one was injured.

Patrol officers in the area heard gunshots and pursued a vehicle a short distance before the driver pulled over. A man and a woman were taken into custody in connection with that shooting, Foster said.

City News Service contributed to this report.