One killed, another critically injured in shooting near San Jose World Cup fan zone; mayor says no link to tournament

The shooting

At around 9:12 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 28, police responded to reports of gunfire near North Market Street and West Santa Clara Street in San Jose's San Pedro Square. Officers found an unconscious adult male on the sidewalk with at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A second adult male was located several yards away with life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was stabilized but remains in critical condition.

Police investigation

The San Jose Police Department has opened a homicide investigation. Several surrounding streets were closed overnight. A police spokesperson was scheduled to brief media at 11 a.m. local time on Monday. Witnesses described seeing bloodied victims and hearing moans; one security guard told Reuters she saw a person with blood around his neck and upper back. No arrests have been announced.

Mayor's response

In a statement on Monday, Mayor Matt Mahan emphasized that Sunday's World Cup programming at the fan zone had concluded hours before the shooting.

“This shooting happened near an area where families and fans have been gathering for our World Cup watch parties, and that makes the brazenness of this crime even more unacceptable.”

He stressed that the incident was not linked to the tournament.

“I am grateful that Sunday's programming had ended hours earlier, and there is no indication this violence was connected to the event.”

Fan zone context

San Pedro Square is one of several dozen fan zones across the Bay Area that have drawn large crowds for outdoor screenings of World Cup matches. The Bay Area has hosted five World Cup games so far, with the last a knockout match on June 24 between Bosnia and the United States. Sunday's only game, Canada vs. South Africa, finished around 2 p.m., roughly seven hours before the shooting.