One person was killed and another seriously injured in a shooting on Sunday night at a popular entertainment spot in San Jose, California, that has been hosting a World Cup “fan zone” as well as screening matches, police said.
Incident Details
San Jose police reported the shooting at about 9:10 pm local time at San Pedro Square. “One victim was pronounced deceased on scene,” the department said in a post on X. “The second victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.” No World Cup games were being screened at the time, as the only match of the day had ended around 2 pm local time.
“This incident is being investigated as a homicide,” police added. “Several surrounding streets are closed in the area.”
Location and Context
San Pedro Square is one of several places in the San Francisco Bay Area where large crowds have gathered for “watch parties” showing World Cup matches on big screens. The Bay Area has hosted five World Cup matches so far, with the next game scheduled for Wednesday — a knockout match between Bosnia and the US, a co-host.
A Reuters journalist at the scene observed a heavy police presence, multiple police vehicles, and a person on a stretcher partially covered by a white sheet being rushed away by uniformed personnel. The area was cordoned off, and most nearby bars had closed after the incident.
Witness Account
A security guard, who declined to be named because she was not authorized to speak to media, said she saw the injured person in distress. “The person was still moaning and groaning,” she said. “There was blood around his neck and upper back.” She added that police were speaking to security and a couple of witnesses.
There are several dozen fan zones across the Bay Area, according to reports.
