A gunman opened fire at a popular World Cup fan zone venue in San Jose, California, on Sunday, killing one person and leaving another with life-threatening injuries, police said.
The shooting took place at San Pedro Square, one of several sites across the San Francisco Bay Area where large crowds have gathered to watch World Cup matches on big screens. No match was being screened at the time; the only game of the day had finished around 2 p.m. local time (2100 GMT).
“One victim was pronounced deceased on scene. The second victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries,” San Jose police said in a post on social media platform X. “This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Several surrounding streets are closed in the area.”
A Reuters journalist at the scene observed a heavy police presence, multiple police vehicles, and a person on a stretcher partially covered by a white sheet being rushed from the area by uniformed personnel. The scene was cordoned off and most nearby bars were closed.
A security guard, who declined to be named as she was not authorised to speak to the media, said she witnessed the injured person in distress. “The person was still moaning and groaning. There was blood around his neck and upper back,” she said. “Police were talking to security and a couple of witnesses.”
San Pedro Square is one of several dozen fan zones operating across the Bay Area, which has hosted five World Cup matches so far. The last of those was a knockout game on Wednesday between Bosnia and co-hosts the United States.
(With information from Reuters)