A teenager was arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly shooting and killing a man with a flare gun in Huntington Beach on Friday night.
Officers with the Huntington Beach Police Department responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of Florida Street and Utica Avenue around 8:40 p.m. Friday, according to department spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers located the victim, identified by the Orange County Coroner Division as Jose Manuel Nares of Huntington Beach, suffering from a gunshot wound inflicted by a flare gun. The 29-year-old received medical aid and was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The suspect, whose identity is being withheld because he is a juvenile, fled the scene but was “quickly located by responding officers,” Cuchilla said. The weapon was also recovered.
The teen was booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall, Cuchilla said.
Statistics about flare gun fatalities are limited. However, Lt. Brian Smith of the Huntington Beach Police Department said flare guns launch projectiles that can cause injury, or they can be modified to fire other types of ammunition. In 2021, a 41-year-old man in Auburn, Wash., died after being shot in the chest by a modified flare gun, according to local news reports.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives believe this was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the community,” Cuchilla said of the Huntington Beach shooting.
Anyone with video surveillance or information related to the shooting is encouraged to call the Huntington Beach Police Department at (714) 878-5640.
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