Police identify 22-year-old man killed in shooting at park

CLAIREMONT

A 22-year-old man killed after a shooting in a Clairemont park last weekend was identified by police on Tuesday.

Cesar Lopez-Sandoval, of San Diego, was gunned down Sunday shortly before noon at North Clairemont Recreation Center on Bannock Avenue just off Genesee Avenue, Lt. Adam

Sharki said.

The shots caused families with children and youth basketball players in the area to scatter, police said.

Officers who responded to reports of shots fired found Lopez-Sandoval in a grassy area of the park near a set of bleachers, Sharki said.

The victim had been shot multiple time in his upper torso.

Lopez-Sandoval was taken to a hospital, where he died at 2:51 p.m., Sharki said.

Lopez-Sandoval’s family and friends gathered at the park Monday night to hold a candlelight vigil.

Lopez-Sandoval’s friends told NBC 7 San Diego that he was a rapper, whose music felt “authentic” and “raw.”

Before the shooting, the victim had a brief confrontation with two men — one of whom pulled out a handgun and shot the victim several times, police said.

The men ran off south through the park.

“There were multiple persons in and around the park that witnessed a portion of the shooting and provided limited descriptions of suspects,” Sharki said in a statement.

Police declined to provide descriptions of the men who ran off, saying they had to interview more witnesses before releasing that information, the lieutenant said.

The incident is under investigation. The San Diego Police Department asked anyone with information to call the homicide unit at (619) 531-2293 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

CALEB LUNETTA U-T