A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of an Indio resident following a physical altercation, police said Monday.
Officers responded around 5:40 p.m. Saturday to reports of a shooting outside the Food-4-Less at 82124 Highway 111, according to an Indio Police Department statement. They found the 26-year-old victim suffering from a gunshot wound and attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Witnesses told police the suspect fled southeast through the shopping center, where officers later detained him. A firearm was recovered at the scene, police said.
Investigators believe the confrontation began inside the store as a verbal dispute before escalating into a physical altercation outside. According to police, the suspect — identified as Gideon Gonzalez Jr. — allegedly pulled a gun and shot the victim as he tried to flee.
Gonzalez was arrested shortly after and booked into the Southwest Detention Center on $1 million bail the following morning, according to inmate records.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any additional information regarding this incident was encouraged to contact the Indio Police Department at 760-391-4057.