Last Friday, a morning parking lot scuffle outside the Save Mart on Deerfield Drive in Truckee escalated into gunfire, ending with a 15-year-old in handcuffs on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. Officers reported that no one was hit, but shell casings were found scattered in the lot and the teen now faces a stack of serious charges, including reckless discharge of a firearm and a probation violation.
Officers were called out around 9 a.m. to the Save Mart lot just off Highway 89, but by the time they pulled in, everyone involved had already taken off, according to CBS Sacramento. That left detectives to do the slow work: reviewing store surveillance video and knocking on doors in the area to track down witnesses.
Investigators eventually identified the suspected shooter as a 15-year-old Truckee resident and arrested him, regional outlet KOLO reported. Police also cited an alleged probation violation tied to the teen. Authorities said they are still working to locate the firearm believed to have been used.
Police say fight preceded shooting
Truckee officers say the gunfire appears to have followed a physical fight between a group of young men in the parking lot, where shell casings were recovered as part of the investigation, according to CBS Sacramento. Detectives are still stitching together the timeline from video footage and witness statements to understand exactly how the confrontation turned into a shooting.
Legal next steps
The teen is facing attempted murder and weapons-related allegations while prosecutors decide on formal charges and how the case will move forward, KOLO reported. Because this is a juvenile case in California, many details will likely stay behind closed doors. Juvenile court proceedings and most juvenile records are confidential, which can limit what the public learns as the case progresses, according to the California Courts.
Broader context
The incident adds to what has already been a tense month in Truckee. Earlier in February, a separate episode at a Safeway involved a vehicle striking pedestrians and injuring several people, a jarring scene that highlighted growing safety concerns in the mountain town. That crash was reported by the AP.
Truckee police are asking anyone who was at the Save Mart lot or has relevant video or information to contact investigators. The Truckee Police Department lists its non-emergency dispatch line as (530) 550-2320, and its main office at 10183 Truckee Airport Road, according to the Truckee Police Department.
