Man accused in deadly Palm Springs shooting pleads not guilty

A Sky Valley resident accused of gunning down a man in Palm Springs pleaded not guilty today to a murder charge.

Jeffrey Burgess, 42, was arrested Tuesday stemming from the shooting reported earlier that morning.

Burgess was arraigned at the Banning Justice Center before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Alfonso Fernandez, who set the defendant's bail at $1 million and scheduled a felony settlement conference for July 7 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

He remains held at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio.

Along with the murder charge, Burgess faces a sentence-enhancing allegation of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury.

Officers were sent to the 700 block of West Racquet Club Drive about 4:15 a.m. Tuesday on a shooting report and found a man dead in the street, according to Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Casavan.

Lt William Hutchinson of the Palm Springs Police Department confirmed that the victim is a 44-year-old man. A coroner's official said Thursday morning that the victim's full name was not yet available for release. Hutchinson added that authorities do not have a hold on the victim's ID, however, they have not been able to notify family.

According to police, Burgess called 911 and "reported being involved in a shooting'' at the location. He was detained and questioned, and later taken into custody.

Nobody else was injured, and there was no word on what precipitated the shooting. Hutchinson confirmed that investigators do not believe the Burgess and the victim knew each other.

Burgess has no documented felony convictions in Riverside County.