A male victim suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot outside a market in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury neighborhood this afternoon, police and witnesses said.
The shooting was reported at about 1:15 p.m. near the intersection of Haight Street and Masonic Avenue, San Francisco police Officer Albie Esparza told Bay City News.
According to KRON4, SFPD officers later identified by SFPD as Officer Michael Diskin, Park Station, and Officer John Denny, Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit, were “walking the beat when they heard gunshots near Fred’s New Lite Supermarket at Haight and Masonic, and found a victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the back.”
“The suspect is in custody as well as the weapon,” Esparza told the SF Examiner.
The victim, who was shot in the torso, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with injuries that are believed to be life-threatening, Esparza said.
According to KRON, the suspected shooter is an employee of the supermarket. According to an email sent by Christin Evans, owner of area business The Booksmith:
The rumor on the street is that it was the market’s owner’s brother Sammy who is “a little off his rocker” who shot at Mike, a semi-transient local. Mike is apparently known for carrying a little Chihuahua dog under his arm.
According to investigators who spoke with KRON, “the victim’s dog was also involved in the confrontation that led to the shooting.”
According to the Ex, “The shooting reportedly came after an argument involving the victim’s chubby Chihuahua named Gizmo, who was dressed in a pink shirt. The shopkeeper may have kicked the dog, sparking the argument, police said.”
According to the Chron, a witness says the victim said “Why did you kick my dog? I’m going to kick your ass,” to store employee Sam Kazzouh, and quotes SFPD Lt. Belinda Kerr a saying that Kazzouh apparently then shot the man in the back.
SFPD says that Kazzouh, a 43 year old Fairfield resident, was booked for assault with a deadly weapon (firearm), carrying a loaded firearm not registered to him, and shooting into an inhabited dwelling (all felonies).
Nahu, an employee at People’s Cafe, a restaurant near the intersection, told BCN that he heard gunshots and then saw someone lying in front of the doorway of Fred’s New Lite Supermarket at 1416 Haight St.
“I thought it was fireworks or people joking around,” said Nahu, who did not want to give his last name.
The Chron is reporting that “a neighboring merchant was taking care of the victim’s dog” which had briefly escaped during the incident.
The victim, a 52 year old Haight Ashbury man known at publication time only as “Mike,” remains in critical condition as of Thursday morning.
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