SAN DIEGO — An 18-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday after an altercation in the East Village, authorities said.
The Navy identified the 18-year-old as Operations Specialist Seaman Apprentice Albert Lee Soto, assigned to USS Pinckney (DDG 91) at Naval Base San Diego. Albert was from New York and enlisted in the Navy in Oct. 2023.
Officers responded around 12:50 a.m. Saturday to a report of multiple gunshots fired in the area of Ninth Avenue and F Street, according to the San Diego Police Department.
"An officer working in the area also heard the shots and responded to the intersection," the department reported in a statement. "Once there, the officer located a man on the ground suffering from at least one gunshot wound."
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died shortly afterward, police said.
Detectives indicated that the victim had been involved in an altercation with a group of men inside a nightclub several blocks away prior to the shooting. They were working to determine if the two altercations were related.
The suspects were described as four men wearing mostly dark clothing last seen running eastbound on F Street, officials said.
Authorities urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call the SDPD at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
In a statement to CBS 8, San Diego Police said:
"Central Division was expecting large crowds leading up to this holiday weekend and to prevent and deter further violent acts. SDPD is working 12 hours shifts this weekend and Central has two bike teams working along with bringing in several officers on overtime for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. In an effort to keep patrons and community members safe while enjoying clubs and restaurants in Gaslamp. Officers from other commands are brought into downtown each night before bar break to help deter violence. These extra resources from other commands will increase our footprint in Gaslamp allowing several officers every other block on Fifth Avenue and mobile units in downtown in effort to prevent another violent shooting. We will be proactive in our response to criminal acts and violent fights, among others, making arrests to prevent further criminal acts."
In a statement to CBS 8, the Navy said:
We mourn this loss of Seaman Apprentice Albert Soto, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and shipmates.