SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police say two men who were shot in a South Side highway underpass Wednesday night had been arguing with the shooter.
Officers who answered a 911 call just after 11 p.m. found both victims in the turn-around beneath Interstate 35 near SW Military Drive.
They said one man died at the scene.
The other was in critical condition as he was rushed to a hospital.
According to a preliminary police report, the men were shot by someone in a gray or white small SUV. At the scene, officers had described it as a white Jeep SUV.
The report says the driver was in the turn-around when he suddenly stopped and began arguing with the victims.
At some point, the driver fired the shots then got back into his vehicle and headed south on I-35, the report said.
Christina Gutierrez was planning to bed down for the night outside a nearby business when she heard what sound like two rounds of gunfire.
“I know I heard, ’ Pop.’ And then, “pop, pop.’ You know what I’m saying?,” she said. “When I heard the gunshots, I really didn’t think anything of it. I was, like, ‘Wow, is this really happening?’ Then I just ran over here to try to give CPR.”
Gutierrez said she found one of the wounded men crawling toward the street.
The other was down on the ground about 10 yards away, gasping for air.
“He was still alive. I’m telling him, ‘Hold on. Hold on. The EMS is coming,” she said.
That man is the one who later died.
Police say both victims were in their 20s.
They were not able to offer a description of the shooter right away.
Officers at the scene said a stray bullet went through the window of a Denny’s restaurant nearby.
At daylight, the bullet hole was still visible.
While no one inside the restaurant was hurt, the shootings did seem to have an impact on business.
Customers showed up throughout the night and early morning, surprised to find the normally 24-hour business locked up tight.
Police are still looking for the shooter.