1 year ago
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MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Merced Police are investigating a deadly shooting that took the beingness of a young teenager.
The victim, whose household identified arsenic Mario Fertini III, was conscionable 15-years-old.
The shooting took spot adjacent West North Bear Creek Drive and Highway 59.
The lad was recovered unresponsive just earlier 6 a.m. and was pronounced dormant connected the scene, but constabulary judge helium was changeable overmuch earlier. After speaking with neighbors, constabulary judge helium was changeable astir 2 a.m.
"No 1 calls and we're already respective hours down connected the probe due to the fact that of the hold successful reporting it," said Merced Police Lieutenant Kalvin Haygood.
His uncle, Lawrence Perkins, describes his nephew, Mario, arsenic a bully kid.
"My nephew was a bully kid, helium wasn't similar your emblematic teen similar helium wasn't into the worldly that they was into, helium had a existent interest, helium wanted to beryllium thing successful life."
Mario, who his household says loved to learn, had conscionable started his freshman twelvemonth of precocious school.
"He didn't adjacent get to acquisition precocious school, like, helium didn't get to spell to a prom, didn't get to spell to a schoolhouse dance," Perkins said.
Police recovered Mario deceased conscionable feet distant from his home. The vicinity wherever helium lived is dimly lit.
"It's ace acheronian retired here, it's literally, there's not adjacent thoroughfare lights capable for anyone to spot retired here," described neighbour Maria Ruiz.
While she didn't perceive the gunshots, Ruiz's lad did.
"He said helium conscionable heard a lot, similar a lot, helium said astatine slightest ten."
Other neighbors accidental successful the past year, the assemblage has go unsafe, and immoderate are adjacent looking to move.
Merced Police says this is the sixth homicide successful a twelvemonth and the 2nd successful the past week.
"It's just, it's horrible, conscionable that our kids can't beryllium harmless nowadays, they can't conscionable locomotion out," Ruiz said.
There are inactive a batch of unanswered questions, it's unclear if Mario knew his slayer oregon the motive.
However, Merced Lt. Kalvin Haygood has a connection for everyone, including young kids similar Mario.
"People don't conscionable combat with their hands anymore, we're seeing a batch much wherever radical are warring and guns are getting pulled retired and shots are being fired, different weapons are being used, and a batch of it is kids are successful the incorrect spot astatine the incorrect time."
Merced Police are inactive searching for a suspect, and they asked anyone who saw oregon knew thing to study it to them.
