Man suffers life-threatening injuries in South San Jose shooting

Gunfire ripped out in front of a McDonald’s at a busy South San Jose shopping plaza in broad daylight sending one man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Tina Aylesworth was standing in the Chuck E. Cheese parking lot on Kooser Road in South San Jose when she heard three popping sounds, what she thought was fireworks, around 5:30 p.m. It turns out it was gun shots.

“I saw the guy hit the floor after I turned around and heard the popping of a pistol and then everyone dispersed,” said Wtiness Tina Aylesworth.

Aylesworth said the victim was across the street with a bike hanging out with two friends when he was shot. Witnesses rushed to perform aid. Aylesworth said the victim was in his 20s who was shot in the stomach and grazed by a bullet to his right hip. Witnesses describe the suspect as a man in his late teens, who ran into the plaza, where police ultimately caught him.

“I’m scared, nervous because it could have happened to any of us,” said David Bailes of San Jose.

Bailes was working at McDonald’s at the time and ran in the back for cover. He calls the area relatively peaceful where shootings like this don't happen every day.

“It is kind of shocking for Starbucks, McDonald’s and the whole community here,” said Bailes. “They don't expect someone getting shot up in here.”

“I hope it calms down,” said Aylesworth. “We are in front of Chuck E. Cheese. I’m here for a birthday party for a niece.”

Police closed off a portion of Kooser Road as they interviewed witnesses and gathered surveillance video from nearby businesses.