A 19-year-old Five Guys worker has been identified as the unintended victim of a shooting that rattled the coastal Southern California city of Oxnard, authorities and family members said.
The employee, Jonathan Vasquez J.R., was a Ventura College student who was known to loved ones as “JJ.”
According to the Oxnard Police Department, Vasquez was on a break inside the restaurant when a gunshot was fired outside during a confrontation involving a 16-year-old male suspect and two other unidentified males.
“He just graduated high school, where he was captain of his football team and a continuous student on the high honors roll. He was starting his very first job while attending Ventura College, learning how to balance working, going to school, and joining the Track team as a thrower,” JJ’s aunt wrote in a GoFundMe created for the family.
The shooting happened around 8:26 p.m. Friday at the Five Guys located in the 2700 block of Portico Way in Oxnard.
“Officers located a 19-year-old male who had been shot once. The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. There were no other victims located… Investigators determined that the victim was not the intended target of the shooting,” the department said.
Police investigators later secured a search warrant connected to the teenage suspect, who is also from Oxnard. Investigators, along with Oxnard SWAT and K9 Unit officers, arrested the alleged shooter as he was leaving his home.
The 16-year-old was booked into the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Center on suspicion of attempted murder. Police said the cause of the original altercation remains under investigation.
“He is a diligent, strong, and smart kid. His heart is made of gold, and he shows kindness to anyone he meets. His laugh, smile and hugs are some of his best qualities!” the fundraiser further said.
Over $48,200 of the $60,000 goal have been reached so far.
