Vallejo police, lit by red and blue lights, attend to a young shooting victim at night.
In this eyewitness video, Vallejo police provide medical care to a 16-year-old shooting victim on July 17, 2024 in Vallejo, Calif. The victim died at the scene. (Screenshot via Open Vallejo)

A 16-year-old boy was shot to death in the 100 block of Carolina Street overnight. The killing marks Vallejo’s 12th homicide this year.

Vallejo police responded to reports of a shooting in the Carolina Heights apartment complex around 11:33 p.m. Wednesday, according to a statement released Thursday by the department. Witnesses reported hearing numerous shots followed by screams, according to dispatch audio.

A Vallejo police detective walks back to his vehicle, a black American-made SUV, during daytime.
Vallejo Police Det. Bradley Phillips returns to his department-issued vehicle after canvassing the 100 block of Carolina Street in Vallejo for witnesses on July 18, 2024. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

A subsequent caller reported that a person was on the ground and still breathing. Minutes later, police found the victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Officers provided first aid until medical personnel arrived, but the boy died at the scene.

Vallejo homicide detectives have since taken over the investigation. The motive and circumstances surrounding the shooting are not yet known.

Geoffrey King is the executive editor of Open Vallejo. Prior to founding Open Vallejo, Geoffrey worked as an attorney and journalist focused on free expression, open government, press freedom and privacy. He is a proud native of Vallejo, California.