On the afternoon of Friday, December 5, 2025, 14-year-old Ethan Emmanuel Rodriguez was fatally shot in broad daylight in the 1200 block of Camarillo Court in East Salinas. The Salinas Police Department says the shooting happened about 3:30 p.m. near Alisal High School, where Rodriguez was a freshman. Responding officers, alerted by a ShotSpotter activation and reports of gunfire, found him with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders attempted life-saving measures.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene and some residents initially mistook the shots for fireworks. Bystanders reported a group of teenagers running away on foot from the area moments after the shooting. The intersection of Moreno Drive and Camarillo Court was cordoned off while investigators collected evidence and canvassed the neighborhood. The killing was recorded as Salinas’s seventh homicide of 2025.

As of late December 2025, detectives had not announced any arrests and have kept details about suspects and motive confidential; police noted gang activity in the surrounding area. Anyone who witnessed the shooting or saw the group of fleeing teens is asked to contact investigators with tips.