Teen arrested in fatal flare gun shooting in Huntington Beach
A teenager was arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly shooting and killing a man with a flare gun in Huntington Beach on Friday night.
Officers with the Huntington Beach Police Department responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of Florida Street and Utica Avenue around 8:40 p.m. Friday, according to department spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers located the victim, identified by the Orange County Coroner Division as Jose Manuel Nares of Huntington Beach, suffering from a gunshot wound inflicted by a flare gun. The 29-year-old received medical aid and was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The suspect, whose identity is being withheld because he is a juvenile, fled the scene but was "quickly located by responding officers," Cuchilla said. The weapon was also recovered.
The teen was booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall, Cuchilla said.
Statistics about flare gun fatalities are limited. However, Lt. Brian Smith of the Huntington Beach Police Department said flare guns launch projectiles that can cause injury, or they can be modified to fire other types of ammunition. In 2021, a 41-year-old man in Auburn, Wash., died after being shot in the chest by a modified flare gun, according to local news reports.
"Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives believe this was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the community," Cuchilla said of the Huntington Beach shooting.
Anyone with video surveillance or information related to the shooting is encouraged to call the Huntington Beach Police Department at (714) 878-5640.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Photos: A fierce pushback on ICE raids in L.A. from protesters, officials
A series of surprise U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps in downtown Los Angeles on Friday prompted fierce pushback from elected officials and protesters, who decried the enforcement actions as 'cruel and unnecessary' and said they stoked fear in the immigrant community. Tensions remained high in downtown into the evening. The Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly and ordered about 200 protesters who remained gathered by the Los Angeles Federal Building to disperse around 7 p.m. The use of so-called less-lethal munitions was authorized at 8 p.m. following reports of a small group of 'violent individuals' throwing large pieces of concrete at officers, police said. A citywide tactical alert was issued shortly thereafter. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Multiple immigration sweeps reported across L.A.: 'They're everywhere'
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were carrying out a series of immigration sweeps across Southern California on Friday morning, sparking fear and anxiety among immigrant communities. At least one video posted on X show federal agents running after people in the parking lot of the Home Depot in Westlake, not far from downtown Los Angeles. A man recording the video can be heard warning people in Spanish that immigration officials were at the location and to stay away. Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes Westlake, said in a written statement that her office has received reports about immigration enforcement operations taking place in her district and other parts of Los Angeles. "These actions are escalating: agents arrive without warning and leave quickly, aware that our communities mobilize fast," she said. "I urge Angelenos to stay alert." The raids are the latest in a string of high-profile immigration enforcement actions over the last week, part of President Trump's promised deportation crackdown. A few days ago, immigration agents raided a popular San Diego restaurant and made arrests, sparking a standoff with outraged residents. Agents also arrested Chinese and Taiwanese nationals at an underground nightclub in the Los Angeles area. Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE, said federal agents in downtown Los Angeles were executing search warrants related to the harboring of people illegally in the country. No other details were provided, and it wasn't known how many operations were taking place. Another video posted on Instagram shows six federal agents walking near the intersection of Towne Avenue and 10th Street in the Fashion District. Ron Gochez, a member of Unión del Barrio, an independent political organization advocating for immigrant rights and social justice, said his group has been "flooded" with calls about immigration sweeps taking place in Los Angeles and Orange counties. "There were ICE agents at a Home Depot in Cypress, there's ICE agents at Wilshire Boulevard and Union Avenue, a construction site in North Hollywood and in South L.A.," he said in a phone interview. "They're everywhere." This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is made available. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Two foreign nationals charged with stalking a Los Angeles artist who criticized Xi Jinping
Two foreign nationals were charged with stalking a Los Angeles-based artist who has criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping, federal officials said. Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the U.K. and a U.S. lawful permanent resident, were charged with interstate stalking, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, smuggling and violating the Arms Export Control Act, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California. 'The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America,' said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino in the release. 'The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China." Read more: Dating apps used in Mexico to lure and kidnap U.S. citizens, officials warn If convicted, Cui and Miller face up to five years in prison for conspiracy, five years for interstate stalking, 20 for violating the Arms Export Control Act and 10 years for smuggling. According to court documents, Cui and Miller allegedly employed two people, who they didn't know were acting on the direction of the FBI, to carry out a plot to stop someone from protesting Xi's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The victim, who wasn't named in the release, had previously publicly criticized Xi and China's government. Cui and Miller had the alleged victim surveiled, had a tracking device installed on their car, slashed the tires on the car and bought and destroyed statues created by the victim showing Xi and Xi's wife, according to the release. In the spring of 2025, the victim announced that he planned to publicize an online feed showing the two statues; Cui and Miller allegedly paid two other people $36,500 to convince the victim not to display the statues, officials wrote. Those two people were also working with the FBI. Starting in November 2023, Miller and Cui allegedly procured U.S. defense articles, including air defense radar, drones, missiles and cryptographic devices in order to unlawfully export them from the U.S. to China. They talked with two other people about how to export the device, including hiding it in a blender, motor starter, small electronics or shipping it to Hong Kong. Cui and Miller allegedly paid about $10,000 as a deposit for the cryptographic device through a courier in the U.S. and wire transfer to a U.S. bank account, officials said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.