WATSONVILLE, Calif. -- It was an eventful night at Watsonville high school Friday night. A wrestling match, a soccer game and a dance was all happening. In the midst of all of this, police say 18 year old Marco Ortega was gunned down in a school parking lot.
"I should be able to come to a wrestling tournament and not be afraid and so should every one else," said Glenn Baldwin, parent.
Police say though the motive is not known, Ortega was in an "associate" of a local street gang. Ortega is not a student of Watsonville High School.
Saturday, Baldwin said he was hesitant to bring his son to a match at the school since he had to walk through the very parking lot where the shooting happened. Parents who spoke to Central Coast News saw the police tape left over and find it disturbing that the scene was right on school grounds, and during those school events.
Police say Ortega was taken to the hospital by a friend where he later died.
"It hits so much closer to home, because its like, its right here, its right here," said Wilma Field.
Field attends drum practice across the street every Friday and said activity at the school usually comforts her.
"I'm very happy when the lights are on, there's a lot of people, I think nothing is going to happen. I feel safer," said Field.
Now, Field fears this will open the door to more violence. Some students attending the soccer game told Central Coast News they heard the shots from the soccer fields but the game kept on going. However, Watsonville Police say the incident happened in a remote area, and was not associated with the school. All three events kept on going as planned, even after the shooting. Police did not get any reports of a shooting until Ortega was at the hospital.
"I would hope to see more of a police presence here, especially if you have 3 major events going on," said Baldwin.
The crime is being investigated as gang associated.
