UPDATE: One Dead, Two Critical In Modesto Shooting
MODESTO (CBS13) – One person was shot dead and two were hospitalized in critical condition after a shooting in Modesto on Tuesday afternoon.
Police responded to reports of gunfire at a home near Upstick Road and Dezzani Lane around 12:30 p.m.
Witnesses in the Modesto gunfire say the shooting sounded like automatic gun fire. The triple shooting in broad daylight was heard blocks away.
"It sounded like a big gun. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam," Ron Lloyd said.
Modesto police say he's right.
"Handguns as well as an automatic assault rifle that was possibly usedd. We refer to it as a 223, a very high-powered, dangerous firearm," Modesto Police Lt. Rick Armendariz said.
Possibly more than one shooter opened fire with at least two weapons.
"It's sad to see it so close to home," said Marianna Castillo, who lives next door with her young nieces.
At first she thought the commotion was fireworks. Shock settled in once she learned someone gunned down a trio of men feet from her home.
"You never know when you're safe and when you're not safe no more, especially in the middle of the day," she said. "You hear crazy stories in the night but not in the day."
Police spent much of the afternoon going door to door and searching for clues.
The suspects are described as a Hispanic male adults, possibly in a dark colored sedan, perhaps a Volvo or Mercedes.
Modesto police detectives are also looking into the possibility that a fatality in Ceres several hours later might be related.
The victim was described as a Hispanic male adult and he was found in the driveway leading up to a residence in the 5200 block of Prairie Flower Rd.
Armendariz said the body was riddled with bullets and might have been dumped there. Police are working with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office in that investigation.
