A man was gunned down in broad daylight Friday outside a historic San Francisco hotel, marking the city's 10th homicide this year. The deadly incident unfolded just after 1:30 pm near the El Capitan Hotel on vibrant Mission Street, where a shooter opened fire and left one man fatally wounded on the sidewalk, per a report by SFist.
Responding officers found the man with multiple gunshot wounds, efforts to save him notwithstanding, he was pronounced dead at the scene. A shattered window at the El Capitan Hotel at 2361 Mission Street spoke silently to the violence, bearing witness to a seemingly unchecked surge in the city's gun-related crimes. A witness disclosed to SFist that the assailant fled in white car.
Adjacent to the hotel, heartache gripped a local barbershop on 2359 Mission St., where the shooting's echo was mistaken for a singular loud pop. The owner of Modern Hair Cuts, who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing retaliation, relayed to The SF Standard that "there was a loud pop and it startled a lot of us in the store." El Capitan Hotel, contacted by The Standard, offered no comment beyond confirming the disruption caused by an ominous noise.
The tragedy prompted a public advisory from the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, warning residents and travelers to steer clear of Mission and 20th streets. The advisory, which predicted traffic delays and suggested seeking alternate routes, reflects an all-too-common refrain in a city wrestling with the specter of gun violence. In a testament to the episode's gravity, The Standard observed as the Chief Medical Examiner's Office removed a body from the barbershop later that afternoon. Details remain scarce, with a police investigation ongoing and no arrests have been made, authorities said.
San Francisco Police Department is appealing to anyone with information about the case to contact their tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411, beginning with "SFPD." This latest act of violence underscores the fragility of peace on the streets of San Francisco, where the harmony of daily life stands at the mercy of a trigger's pull.
