Police search for suspects in deadly shooting in Ocean Beach

OCEAN BEACH, Calif. (FOX 5/ KUSI)--A man was fatally shot late Wednesday after a confrontation with two other men near Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach, police said.

The shooting happened just before 11:30 p.m. in a parking lot next to Hodad’s, the popular Ocean Beach burger restaurant. Officers found the victim on the ground with a gunshot wound to his torso. They attempted life-saving measures, but the man died at the scene.

His name has not yet been released.

Investigators said the altercation began when the victim punched one of the men. The other pulled out a handgun and opened fire before both suspects ran away, heading through an alley toward Santa Monica Avenue.

Witnesses initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks.

“We heard like a couple pops almost kind of like a firework,” said Max Shriver, who works at nearby Pizzeria Luigi.

Residents said crime has been a recurring concern in the neighborhood.

“I know that there was a stabbing over by AutoZone a couple months ago,” said Aly Auffenberg, who has lived in Ocean Beach for 16 years. “Just like the frequency of aggressive people at the farmers market at nights.”

Others said fights aren’t unusual in the area, but a deadly shooting is rare. “Since I worked here in the past year, there have been acts of violence, and that’s not what we want in this area,” said Bryce Wressell, another Pizzeria Luigi employee.

Police said they do not have detailed suspect descriptions beyond that both men are light-skinned. Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Diego Police Department.