Man Shoots Self In Leg Pulling Gun From Backpack In San Rafael: Police

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A San Rafael man shot himself in the leg Monday morning while pulling a handgun from a backpack during a confrontation in San Rafael, police said.

San Rafael police began receiving 911 calls shortly before 9 a.m. reporting a gunshot near Kerner Boulevard and Fairfax Street. Witnesses told dispatchers that a man had fired a handgun and then fled.

Officers responding to the scene learned that the man, identified as 21-year-old San Rafael resident Alex Alfredo Velasquez-Perez, had been involved in a verbal confrontation with another man he knew, according to police.

During the confrontation, Velasquez-Perez began removing a handgun from a backpack when the weapon discharged, striking him in the leg, police said. No one else was struck by the gunfire.

Investigators believe the confrontation may have stemmed from a street gang rivalry.

Velasquez-Perez fled before officers arrived, prompting police to search the surrounding area. The department launched a drone and spotted Velasquez-Perez walking through an apartment complex in the 100 block of Larkspur Street, about a block from where the shooting occurred, police said.

Police found Velasquez-Perez and tool him custody without further incident.

Officers saw that he had suffered a gunshot wound to his leg and provided first aid before San Rafael Fire Department paramedics transported him to a hospital. His injury was determined to be non-life-threatening, and he was later medically cleared for booking.

Detectives then searched Velasquez-Perez's residence and seized the handgun they believe was used in the shooting, police said.

After being released from the hospital, Velasquez-Perez was booked into Marin County Jail on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon/firearm and possession of a concealed and loaded firearm in public, police said.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Rafael Police Department at 415-485-3000.