The Santa Maria Police Department declined to share additional details about a shooting on Feb. 3 that left a 13-year-old dead.
Leonardo Navarro, 13, died of his wounds at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital two days later. On Feb. 5, the department said the investigation into the incident was ongoing.
On Feb. 6, Sgt. Michael McGehee told the Sun that any additional information would be released on Twitter or through the department’s Nixle—a website where department press releases are issued.
“That’s standard procedure,” he said.
Initial reports indicated the 13-year-old Navarro was shot by his older brother, Fernando, 19, who was arrested by Santa Maria police following a brief investigation on Feb. 3. He was booked in the Santa Barbara County Jail for allegedly shooting a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited by court order.
Officers came to the house where the shooting occurred around noon on Feb. 3, following reports of gunfire. It was there that they found the younger Navarro injured from a gunshot wound and had him airlifted to Santa Barbara.
This article appears in Feb 8-15, 2018.
