Police are investigating a shooting that killed one East Palo Alto teenager and hospitalized another Sunday night (July 24). This is the fourth East Palo Alto homicide since July 13.

A 19-year-old was just greeting his cousin and other youths when he was gunned down in the parking lot of the Emmanuel Pizza and Bakery at 1489 East Bayshore Road in East Palo Alto.

The youth, who was identified Monday by his cousin as "Kevin," and an 18-year-old youth were shot at about 10:30 p.m.

The cousin, who asked not to be identified, told the Weekly the five youths had just met up when the shots rang out.

"We were just saying, 'Wussup?,' he said, motioning a fist bump the cousins gave each other moments before the gunfire.

The youths scattered, running toward the back of the building and down an alleyway. The second youth was hiding under a car with gunshots to his legs, he said.

Kevin reached the end of the alley and collapsed onto his back near Euclid Avenue, just steps from the yellow school buses parked at the Ravenswood City School District headquarters, his cousin said.

"I ran to him and he said, 'I'm dying, I'm dying.' I started feeling around and trying to lift him up, to find out where he was shot," he said. Kevin had been shot in the chest.

He called 911, but Kevin died just as police arrived. "It took too long for the ambulance to get here," he said.

On Monday, the cousin stood outside the nearby CARE Nutrition Center, where mothers with young children come to receive food assistance just a few yards from the scene of the gunfire. He said he did not know why Kevin was shot. "It just happened too fast, and they took my cousin's life away.

"I guess they wanted to put a hurt on him bad and they did," he said,

"I don't know why he was shot. He never wanted to tell me his troubles. We never talked about it. I don't know why," he said.

The Criminal Investigations Division of the East Palo Alto Police Department is handling the case and detectives have not determined a motive for the fatal shooting. No suspect description was immediately available from police.

Witnesses are asked to contact East Palo Alto police by leaving a voicemail message or sending a text message to their anonymous tip line at 650-409-6792. Those with information about the homicide can also send an anonymous email to epa@tipnow.org.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Related stories:
■ Third East Palo Alto homicide in past week

— Sue Dremann

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