Teenager charged for Palm Springs hotel shooting
A 19-year-old reputed gang member accused of opening fire on a family of three outside a Palm Springs hotel in what authorities call a racially motivated attack was charged today with attempted murder and assault with a semi-automatic firearm, along with hate crime allegations.
Ricardo Gomez, of Desert Hot Springs, is accused of shooting at a black man, his wife and their 16-year-old son around 1:35 a.m. Saturday at a hotel in the 2000 block of North Palm Canyon Drive, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.
Police said the family had just arrived at the hotel from out of town and were not struck by the gunfire.
Investigators said “alleged statements made by the suspect toward the victims before the shooting” showed it was likely a racially motivated attack.
Gomez was arrested shortly after the shooting on North Palm Canyon Drive, with two loaded handguns found nearby, police said. A second suspect fled the scene and remains at large.
Read all of his charges here:
Gomez, who’s being held without bail, is slated to make his initial court appearance this afternoon in Indio.
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