Watsonville teen boy dies in Santa Cruz shooting

Updated June 17, 2014, 9:00 a.m.

Santa Cruz police said a teen boy was killed by a gunshot wound in an apartment on Laurel and Center Street across from the police station Monday evening.

Santa Cruz police officers responded to reports of a victim suffering from a gunshot wound at 238 Center Street. The initial 9-1-1 call came from a neighboring apartment in the complex around 6:45 p.m.

Police said the Watsonville boy, 15, suffered a single gunshot wound and was found dead inside a bedroom at the apartment. Police said the teen was visiting with several people inside at the time of the shooting.

At least eight other family members were in the home and are being interviewed.

Outside the home, officers located a firearm believed to be the weapon used in this shooting. The recovered handgun was reported as stolen to the Santa Cruz Police Department in May.

The handgun was taken during an auto burglary from a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home. At this time, it is not yet known how the handgun came to be at this apartment.

If it continues as a homicide investigation, police would be able to pull video from surveillance cameras.