18-year-old shot in Yuba City

Yuba City almost made it through the 2007 holiday season without a street shooting.

As a young woman walked up Bird Street today with a bunch of brightly colored helium balloons for a New Year’s Eve party, a yard across the street was being cordoned off with yellow police tape.

Officers were looking for the shell casing from a bullet that struck an 18-year-old man in the chest, sending him to Rideout Memorial Hospital for surgery.

The victim, who was not immediately identified, was standing in the yard of his home at the southwest corner of Bird and Plumas streets when he was shot about 11:45 a.m., said Yuba City police Sgt. Kim Slade.

The victim was conscious and talking when officers arrived but was “semi-uncooperative” when questioned about the shooting, which is believed to be gang-related said Slade.

Officers using a metal detector found the shell casing about 1:15 p.m.

The victim’s wound was not considered life-threatening.

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