An alleged gang member was arrested in connection with a racially charged shooting at a Palm Springs hotel Saturday that police are investigating as a possible hate crime.
At 1:35 a.m. officers responded to a hotel in the 2000 block of North Palm Canyon Drive and learned that several rounds had been fired at a black man, his wife and their 16-year-old son as they arrived at the hotel from out of town, the Palm Springs Police Department said.
Police did not disclose whether any injuries resulted from the shooting.
“Investigators believe the shooting may be racially motivated based on alleged statements made by the suspect toward the victims before the shooting,” police said.
Officers also got word from a witness that a similarly described suspect had brandished a gun in the same area prior to the shooting, but police said they had not received a report from the victim and were not sure if the incident was related to the shooting.
After a sweep of the area, officers arrested Ricardo Gomez, 19, of Desert Hot Springs and said they found two loaded handguns nearby.
Police said a second suspect was involved in the shooting but fled the area and had not been found.
Gomez was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of several felonies, including attempted murder.
Investigators said the attack was unprovoked and that Gomez and the victims are unrelated.