Child, 4, killed in restaurant shooting

A 4-year-old girl and 34-year-old man were shot dead and a man was wounded late Friday during a fight involving multiple people inside a restaurant in Watsonville, a police official said today.

The three people were struck by gunfire that rang out at the Fish House Bar and Grill at 972 Main St. in Watsonville, police Chief Manny Solano said.

Watsonville police and officers of the Santa Cruz County Gang Task Force were sent to the restaurant at 11:55 p.m. Friday about multiple people fighting with a weapon mentioned, according to the chief.

When officers arrived, they heard a number of gunshots and noticed several people running from a chaotic scene where the two people lay dead and a 26-year-old man wounded, police said.

Two of the victims appeared to have been shot while caught in the crossfire while in the back office of the restaurant, police reported.

The girl, a Watsonville resident, was rushed to Watsonville Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead, Solano said.

The man who was killed was found lying on the ground next to the Valley Inn Motel that is beside the Fish House Bar and Grill, he said.

The 26-year-old man suffered from a gunshot wound that is not considered life threatening, officers reported.

Officers, following a lengthy chase on foot, took two men, aged 31 and 20 years old, into custody and arrested them on suspicion of murder, according to Solano.

Authorities are still investigating the shootings and Watsonville police plan to hold a news conference about it at 4 p.m. today at the department’s office at 215 Union St., according to police Lt. Jorge Zamora.

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