SFPD: Man Fatally Shot During Union Square Attempted Robbery Was Suspect
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Police in San Francisco investigating Thursday's fatal shooting in Union Square on Friday announced that the man killed was one of several suspects who was attempting to rob an individual just before being shot.
In a new press release issued Friday afternoon, police said an officer heard gunshots coming from the 100 block of Geary Street at about 5 p.m. After reporting the information to dispatch, the officer and backup units converged on the area of the gunshots.
Upon arrival, officers found a 21-year-old male suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid and requested emergency medical services. An ambulance arrived and transported the wounded shooting victim to an area hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Officers interviewed an involved party and several witnesses at the scene of the incident and were informed that multiple suspects attempted to rob an adult male victim. A preliminary investigation indicates that a physical altercation ensued between the victim and suspects, which resulted in one of the robbery suspects being shot during the incident.
Officers located and seized three firearms at the scene. There has been no word from the SFPD if anyone has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
Police said the shooting remains an active and ongoing investigation.
Although crime is down overall in San Francisco, the city is seeing increases in robberies and thefts in the area.
"I've been down in Union Square for many, many years and, really, this is the first time I heard of somebody getting killed down here on the street," said San Francisco resident Gregory Mays. "I guess things are getting a little bit more dangerous and worse."
San Francisco police say they are saturating Union Square with more officers, following Thursday's shooting.
While crimes overall are down dramatically year-over-year, certain crimes in Central District, which includes Union Square, are up lately.
Cases of larceny theft nearly doubled after stores first reopened during the pandemic. They jumped from 471 cases March 15 through June 15, to 907 cases from June 15 through Sept. 15.
"Snatch and run" crimes are one of the biggest problems for Union Square stores.
Between July and August 2020, both robbery and theft cases jumped about 30%.
"I guess I would look around more. Take more notice of my surroundings but I wouldn't act differently," said Owen King, who was visiting from Berkeley. "It makes me feel safer just to see cops in the area."
Supervisor Aaron Peskin told KPIX he wants to assure residents and tourists that Union Square is generally safe and that the shooting death was a rare occurance.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or Text a Tip toTIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.
© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. KPIX 5's Betty Yu contributed to this report