Authorities said there have been 20 homicides in the area this year, and 12 of them happened in May. Officials said the murder count is above average for the city of San Bernardino compared to last year, when the number of homicides was 13.
In the most recent murder, the family of the victim, 19-year-old Greg Gonzalez, said he was visiting the memorial of a friend, who was shot and killed on the same street two weeks ago.
The shooting happened about 2 a.m. Police said there were three victims, two adults and a juvenile. A motive was not immediately clear, and investigators said they did not have any suspects.
In addition to Gonzalez's killing, another victim sustained a superficial wound to the leg and the third victim was transported to an area hospital for surgery. The victim with the leg wound was treated and released at the scene.
Gonzalez's family and friends were devastated, and one family member fainted and had to be taken away by the fire department. Many said Gonzalez was not a gang member, and they were frustrated and frightened by the recent spike in murders.
"Greg is like the sweetest guy. He didn't deserve what happened to him today," said Angelica Reyes, Gonzalez's friend. "He's the nicest guy. You call him on the phone, and he'll talk to you for hours about his problems, your problems. He'll always be there for somebody."
A friend of Gonzalez said he was training to join the Army.
On May 5, a mother of two was shot and killed in an alley. The very next day, two men were gunned down in a park in San Bernardino. On May 13, Gonzalez's friend, 21-year-old Michael Espino, was shot in the head on Lenore Street while sitting in his car.
On Sunday, another man was killed in the 1000 block of Pershing Avenue. Gang officers arrested a man in his 20s for gunning down Maurice Major, 27.
Authorities are investigating the surge in homicides. Police said gangs may be to blame for the recent increase.
