STOCKTON, Calif. — One man is dead and another is injured after being shot early Tuesday morning in Stockton.
Officers responded to reports of a car crashing into an apartment complex near Mariners Drive and Hammer Lane around 12:40 a.m., according to the Stockton Police Department.
An officer opened the car door and found two men had been shot. The four-door Honda sedan had several bullet holes to the windshield and driver's side door.
One of the men died at the scene and the other man was hospitalized with "non-life-threatening injuries." There was no additional information about how the two men were shot.
Stockton Police say what happened wasn't random, and the people inside the car were targeted. They also believe the shooting happened a short distance away from where the car came to a stop.
Police identified the deceased as 24-year-old Marlin Logan. The surviving male victim is 22.
Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting and there is no suspect information at this time.
'We just heard BOOM!'
Wykeem Randle and his girlfriend were in their bedroom at the apartment complex when they heard the crash.
"I didn't know that was a shooting, I just thought that was a firework. Then, shortly after, there was just police everywhere. So immediately we just thought something bad had happened," said Randle.
Rickey Lee was visiting his mother at the apartment complex.
"You just heard these shots... pow, pow, pow, pow, pow and all these shots. I'm thinking ok, you know, it's [the] Fourth of July, they'd be shooting in the air whatever stuff," said Lee.
One resident, who only wanted go by the name "Black," offered sage advice to the younger generation living their lives before they're lost too soon.
"We're already going through a lot with the pandemic and everything else, so I just hope the best for all y'all kids out here and just stay up. Keep your head up and think positive."
Tuesday's shooting marks the 25th homicide in Stockton this year compared to 21 homicides at this time last year.
Anyone with more information can call the Stockton Police Department at the non-emergency number (209) 937-8377 or the Investigations Division at (209) 937-8323.
STOCKTON CRIME IN CONTEXT
The increase in homicide cases in Stockton during the early months of 2022 came on the heels of a decline in 2021, where police reported fewer homicides ending the year with a total of 38 cases.
While that’s not the lowest number the department has dealt with in the past 12 years, it is below the annual average of 40 homicide cases per year since 1995.
In response to the rise in homicides, community groups held prayer vigils and outreach events meant to unite Stockton residents against violence.
Activists have called on the community to show up to such events and work with local organizations such as Advance Peace, Faith in the Valley, Lighthouse of the Valley and the Office of Violence Prevention to discourage crime and help impacted communities heal.
Click here for a map of crime statistics.
In an interview with ABC10 in March, Stockton City Manager Harry Black said the Stockton Police Department is trying to prevent more deaths by working more on intelligence gathering and cooperating with federal partners such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshall's Service.
The city is also working to improve its crime prevention, intervention and fighting strategy, Black said. Representatives with the city's Office of Violence Prevention are working to be more present in communities impacted by crime. The office's 'peacekeepers program' places mediators and mentors in high crime areas.
Watch the full interview: Stockton City Manager Harry Black talks recent crime in the city | Extended Interview