Two dead, multiple people injured in Santa Barbara County shootings

January 4, 2021

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Shootings in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara over the weekend left two people dead, one in each city. The Santa Barbara shooting also left an unknown number of victims hospitalized.

At about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, witnesses reported gunshots in the 900 block of W. El Camino Street in Santa Maria. Officers arrived at the scene and found a Hispanic man dead of a gunshot wound, according to the Santa Maria Police Department.

Police are withholding the victim’s name while authorities notify relatives. It is unclear if officers have identified a suspect or suspects in the murder.

Then, at about 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, one person approached several people, who were then shot near the corner of Liberty Street and Canada Street in Santa Barbara, according to KCOY. After the shooting, several victims were transported to Cottage Hospital with undisclosed injuries, and one person later died, Santa Barbara police said.

Officers are searching for at least one suspect who fled the scene. The shooting appears to be gang-related, police said.