An argument that turned into a shooting in Hemet was caught on video last week, raising further concerns in a city that has seen a disturbing rise in violent crime.
The shooting occurred around 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, when officers were dispatched to the 900 block of W. Florida Avenue on reports that two people had been shot in the area, according to a statement from Hemet police.
When they arrived, they found both victims, adult men, with gunshot wounds.
The victims, whose identities have not yet been determined, were both taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
Surveillance camera footage showed shouting between two men walking down the street and another man on a bicycle quickly escalating into violence.
The two men can be heard yelling at the man on the bike as they pass Vero’s Taco Stand, but it’s unclear what exactly they’re saying. From another angle, the cyclist can be seen approaching the two from behind, pulling out a gun and opening fire, hitting one of the two men.
“Out of nowhere, I hear gunshots,” said Manuela Rios, who was working at Vero’s Taco Stand when the shooting happened. “Thank God the fire didn’t start right here where our windows are.”
The second man runs towards the cyclist and throws him to the ground before they start beating him. Moments later, gunshots are heard again and the shooter is seen fleeing the area.
“You see them wrestling, you see them shooting, you don’t know how many weapons are involved,” Ramos said. “Of course they’re yelling at each other.”
Armando Alvarez, the owner of Vero’s, says the shooting was a shock and something needs to be done citywide to curb the rise in crime.
“This is a busy, scary street,” he said. “We have to do something about it in this city because we’re scared. … We don’t know what people are going to get angry.”
According to Hemet police, violent crime has increased citywide in recent years, slightly above the state average. In 2023, officers responded to more than 280 aggravated assaults, a 35% increase over the past five years.
“I think we should try to provide a better environment for the city of Hemet,” said Dereus Dortch, a local resident and one of many calling for change before things get out of control. “We live in a low-poverty cycle and there aren’t many people who have the drive to get out of it.”
It is unclear whether the city government has any plans to address the problem, but police are still searching for the suspect, who has been missing since the shooting.
Both victims are still in hospital, one of them in critical condition.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Department at (951) 765-2423.
