Two Shot, One Dies in Early-Morning Violence

A man died and a woman was badly hurt in an early-morning shooting in Watsonville, police reported.

The deadly shooting happened in the same mixed-use building where the  with two suspected gun thieves in Feburary, Watsonville police Sgt. Saul Gonzalez said.

People called 9-1-1 around 3:05 a.m. Wednesday about the injured woman, who was on the 100 block of Prospect Avenue. The 22-year-old had life-threatening injuries, police said.

Officers followed a blood trail back to an unsecured building—described by police as a "business/residence" on the 200 block of Prospect Street—where they found a man who had been shot several times, police said.

The woman was flown to an out-of-county trauma center for treatment. Gonzalez said she's "doing OK."

The man, who was 37 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His name was not released, but Gonzalez said he was one of the men involved in the Sheriff's Office standoff five months ago.

No arrests have been made and police reported having "very few investigative leads."

Gonzalez said the shooting victims, at least the man, were likely targeted. This was not a murder-suicide, he said.

When asked about the possible motive, Gonzalez said, “we don’t know, though we’re still sorting it out.”

The neighborhood is mostly older, modest single family homes intermixed with churches and a small neighborhood park. The building where the couple was shot is a beige stucco structure that has been described as a former sheet metal facility, an abandoned storefront and a house during the sheriff's standoff.

The sheriff's incident in February unfolded as deputies attempted to search for a gun stolen during a home burglary. The investigation led them to the Prospect Street building and a four-hour standoff ensued when two men inside hid in the attic and refused to leave. They were eventually flushed out, however, no weapons were ever found and the men only were jailed for nominal crimes.

Police said Wednesday's deadly shooting is Watsonville's first homicide of the year. Brandon Gil, 21, was fatally stabbed in April, but the killing was ruled self-defense and no one was arrested.  and someone could be charged with his murder if the blaze is ruled arson.  in the unincorporated areas of South County in 2012.

Detectives ask anyone with information about Wednesday morning's shooting to contact the Investigation Division at (831) 768-3350 or the Crime Tip Line at (831) 768-3544.