Guy B. Meredith
Member
I can't believe this hasn't shown up anywhere except the SF Chronicle. Can't even find it here on a search.
A young man emerged from a minivan on a San Francisco freeway off-ramp Thursday and riddled the driver of a Dodge Charger with bullets from a high-powered weapon, police and witnesses said.
One witness said the shooter paused during the 1 p.m. attack on the Fifth Street off-ramp from the Bay Bridge and shouted at the minivan's driver, "He's still moving!" before pumping more bullets into the car. The gunman then retreated through the sliding door of the van, which sped off.
The victim, a 22-year-old San Francisco man, was struck numerous times and was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening injuries, said police Sgt. Neville Gittens. His name was not released.
As he lay bleeding from his wounds, the man told a witness that he didn't recognize his attackers and pleaded, "Don't let me die."
It all happened at Fifth and Harrison streets, at the bottom of an off-ramp from Interstate 80 and just two blocks from the Hall of Justice. The ensuing investigation shut down the off-ramp and surrounding streets for much of the afternoon, tying up traffic.
Other motorists as well as construction workers, pedestrians and employees of a nearby used-car dealership watched the attack in horror. Some ducked down or ran into alleyways; others said they froze.
"At first I thought it was out of a movie or something," said Len Aguilar, a finance manager for the Select Auto dealership. "It was pretty wild."
Gittens said it appeared the shooter had been gunning specifically for the Dodge driver and that the violence was not random.
"It does appear to be a targeted attack based on the number of rounds," Gittens said. "I can't recall anything like this happening this time of day this close to the Hall of Justice."
Aguilar and Mory Taabodi, owner of Select Auto, said the 2007 Charger had been stopped at the red light at the end of the off-ramp when the minivan pulled to the right side of it and a passenger opened fire with a semiautomatic pistol or rifle.
After shouting, "He's still moving!" the shooter fired several more rounds as the Charger crept into the intersection, said Rob Chavez, a contract employee for Caltrans who was working nearby. In all, the gunman fired about 20 rounds, Chavez said.
The gunman jumped back into the minivan, which was also moving, witnesses said. The minivan, whose make was unknown, sped north on Fifth toward Market Street, striking a sport utility vehicle as it fled.
Chavez ran over to the victim, who was slumped halfway out of the driver's side door.
Chavez said he reached in and turned off the car, then took off his shirt and put pressure on the young man's left arm, where he was bleeding heavily. Police said the victim was also hit in the chest; Chavez said he saw wounds to both arms, both legs and a shoulder.
"He said, 'Don't let me die,' " Chavez said. Asked if he knew the assailants, the young man said, "No," Chavez added.
The Department of Motor Vehicles said the Charger was registered to Rental Car Finance Corp., a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.
The car was riddled with bullet holes, including five in the windshield. Blood darkened the street below the driver's side door. At least 20 shell casings, marked by police evidence tags, littered the off-ramp.
Police are looking for witnesses to the shooting and anyone who may have seen the two cars on the freeway before the attack. Witnesses may call (415) 553-1141 during business hours, or an anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444.
E-mail the writers at [email protected] and [email protected].
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/11/BAG3TPP6201.DTL
This article appeared on page B - 9 of the San Francisco Chronicle
A young man emerged from a minivan on a San Francisco freeway off-ramp Thursday and riddled the driver of a Dodge Charger with bullets from a high-powered weapon, police and witnesses said.
One witness said the shooter paused during the 1 p.m. attack on the Fifth Street off-ramp from the Bay Bridge and shouted at the minivan's driver, "He's still moving!" before pumping more bullets into the car. The gunman then retreated through the sliding door of the van, which sped off.
The victim, a 22-year-old San Francisco man, was struck numerous times and was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening injuries, said police Sgt. Neville Gittens. His name was not released.
As he lay bleeding from his wounds, the man told a witness that he didn't recognize his attackers and pleaded, "Don't let me die."
It all happened at Fifth and Harrison streets, at the bottom of an off-ramp from Interstate 80 and just two blocks from the Hall of Justice. The ensuing investigation shut down the off-ramp and surrounding streets for much of the afternoon, tying up traffic.
Other motorists as well as construction workers, pedestrians and employees of a nearby used-car dealership watched the attack in horror. Some ducked down or ran into alleyways; others said they froze.
"At first I thought it was out of a movie or something," said Len Aguilar, a finance manager for the Select Auto dealership. "It was pretty wild."
Gittens said it appeared the shooter had been gunning specifically for the Dodge driver and that the violence was not random.
"It does appear to be a targeted attack based on the number of rounds," Gittens said. "I can't recall anything like this happening this time of day this close to the Hall of Justice."
Aguilar and Mory Taabodi, owner of Select Auto, said the 2007 Charger had been stopped at the red light at the end of the off-ramp when the minivan pulled to the right side of it and a passenger opened fire with a semiautomatic pistol or rifle.
After shouting, "He's still moving!" the shooter fired several more rounds as the Charger crept into the intersection, said Rob Chavez, a contract employee for Caltrans who was working nearby. In all, the gunman fired about 20 rounds, Chavez said.
The gunman jumped back into the minivan, which was also moving, witnesses said. The minivan, whose make was unknown, sped north on Fifth toward Market Street, striking a sport utility vehicle as it fled.
Chavez ran over to the victim, who was slumped halfway out of the driver's side door.
Chavez said he reached in and turned off the car, then took off his shirt and put pressure on the young man's left arm, where he was bleeding heavily. Police said the victim was also hit in the chest; Chavez said he saw wounds to both arms, both legs and a shoulder.
"He said, 'Don't let me die,' " Chavez said. Asked if he knew the assailants, the young man said, "No," Chavez added.
The Department of Motor Vehicles said the Charger was registered to Rental Car Finance Corp., a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.
The car was riddled with bullet holes, including five in the windshield. Blood darkened the street below the driver's side door. At least 20 shell casings, marked by police evidence tags, littered the off-ramp.
Police are looking for witnesses to the shooting and anyone who may have seen the two cars on the freeway before the attack. Witnesses may call (415) 553-1141 during business hours, or an anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444.
E-mail the writers at [email protected] and [email protected].
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/11/BAG3TPP6201.DTL
This article appeared on page B - 9 of the San Francisco Chronicle
