SAN DIEGO — San Diego Police are searching for suspects involved in a shooting that left a 14-year-old dead in City Heights. The shooting happened at Polk Avenue and 37th Street around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to police.
Lieutenant Jud Campbell said Enrique Medina was found on the sidewalk with at least one gunshot wound. Officers and paramedics performed life saving measures but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said Enrique was shot by a group of men who they believe left southbound on 37th Street in a light-colored sedan. "It happened so close to home. I feel so sorry for the parents and loved ones," said City Heights resident Bianca Ramirez.
She lives around the block from where the shooting happened. As a mother, she says the tragedy is unimaginable "Having kids that age, even if I didn't have kids, it would still touch home because it's tragic and sad," she said.
She's lived in City Heights for 13 years and said shootings have started happening much more often. "It's happening more frequently it's like reliving the 90s it was a big era of gangs and shootings," she said.
Enrique's family is in disbelief that he's gone. They say he was the youngest sibling and the only boy.
"Right now we're still in shock and just trying to process everything," said his sister Carmen Medina.
She and her family spent Monday evening together. They set out candles, roses and photos in memory of Enrique.
"He was a kind kid, big heart and very motivated with everything he set his mind to he would do it," said his sister Natalia Medina.
According to police records, Enrique's killing is the fourth homicide in City Heights over the past three months. His sisters want the violence to stop.
"Gun violence should end. Little kids shouldn't be getting killed," they said.
Two years ago, when Enrique was just 12 years old, he started training at the boxing gym, Undisputed. It’s a place to keep kids in this community busy, and off the street.
Every few months Coach David Ventura sets up a sparring event. He has nearly 200 people come and watch the kids show off their skills. But for the event in May, Ventura did not have anyone matched with Enrique and he got upset.
“He stopped coming, so that tells me there was something to that,” said Ventura.
Ventura said a few weeks later, Enrique’s mom stopped by asking if the coach had seen her son. “I think he was just staying out of the house a little longer, hanging with the homies. You always think about what we could have done different to just kind of pull him off the path that he was traveling,” said Ventura.
Ventura said Enrique was a good kid. He was quiet and he could tell he had a good heart. He said the night of the sparring event, even though he did not get to spar and he was so disappointed, Enrique still helped the coach get ready. Ventura said, “I thought, this is a really good kid. He’s got a lot of potential. You could tell he had a good heart.”
The motive behind the shooting is still unclear. Detectives are continuing to interview witnesses and collect information.
"It's the middle of the day. It's a residential neighborhood there could be people that heard things maybe a small detail something to help us understand what happened and what caused this young man to lose his life," Lt. Campbell said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
The teen's family has set up a Gofundme page to help with funeral expenses.
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