One killed in shooting at California World Cup fan zone

A shooting at a World Cup fan zone in San Jose, California, on Wednesday left one person dead and another critically injured, according to local police. The incident occurred at San Pedro Square, one of several locations in the San Francisco Bay Area where large crowds had gathered for watch parties screening World Cup matches on big screens. However, no games were being shown at the time of the shooting, as the only match of the day had ended around 2 p.m. local time (2100 GMT).

San Jose police said in a post on social media platform X that one victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The incident is being investigated as a homicide, and several surrounding streets were closed. A Reuters journalist at the scene reported a heavy police presence, multiple police vehicles, and a person on a stretcher partially covered by a white sheet being rushed away by uniformed personnel. The area was cordoned off, and most bars in the vicinity were closed after the incident.

A security guard who declined to be named because she was not authorized to speak to media said she saw the injured person in distress. "The person was still moaning and groaning. There was blood around his neck and upper back," she said. "Police were talking to security and a couple of witnesses." The Bay Area has hosted five World Cup matches so far, with the last being a knockout match between Bosnia and co-hosts the United States on Wednesday. There are several dozen fan zones across the Bay Area. According to Mehr News, the incident is under investigation.