Santa Barbara, Calif. – The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting which occurred inside of a vehicle parked on Burtis St. in unincorporated Santa Barbara on Thursday afternoon.  The shooting left one victim deceased, and the other in critical condition at an area hospital.

On January 7, 2021, at around 12:30 pm, passerby’s in the area heard gunshots, then observed a subject flee from the area.  The witness observed the victims in the vehicle, and ran from the area to call 911.  Responding deputies discovered two males seated in the front seat of a parked vehicle in the 600 block of Burtis St.  One had suffered a fatal gunshot wound, the other was transported by paramedics.

The area between Hollister Ave. and Atascadero Creek from Turnpike to Patterson was issued a shelter in place order for several hours.  Deputies, K-9s and a County Air Support Unit helicopter searched the area for the suspect, however he was not located.

The deceased victim is a 19-year-old male who resided in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara.  The surviving victim is a 19-year-old resident of Isla Vista and is listed in critical, but stable condition as of this afternoon.  The suspect was reported as being a male in his early 20’s, either white or Hispanic, with dark hair.  No further details are available at this time and the motive for the shooting has yet to be determined.  The suspect is still at large, however investigators do not believe that the general public is at risk.

Sheriff’s Detectives are asking for the public’s help.  With the prevalence of home security systems, cameras, and video doorbell technology, investigators are requesting residents within a half mile radius of Burtis St. to check their video systems for any suspicious activity between the hours of 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.  Suspicious activity could include unusual vehicles or persons, or activity that seems contrary to normal neighborhood activity.  Anyone with information or video should contact the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Bureau at 805-681-4150, or call the anonymous tip line at 805-681-4171.