On the evening of November 9, 2024, 18-year-old Salinas resident Adrian Puga attended a car sideshow near Prunedale Road South and Blackie Road in Prunedale, California. At about 10:25 p.m., the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol responded to multiple reports of a shooting. Deputies and officers found Puga with gunshot wounds; he was taken to a local hospital and later died of his injuries.

Witnesses say Puga had been participating in the sideshow and lost control of his vehicle, colliding with another car. That collision reportedly led to a confrontation during which an unidentified person shot Puga. Videos circulating on social media reportedly show a man with a rifle pointing at Puga shortly before the fatal shot. No arrests have been announced and the Sheriff’s Office has asked the public to provide any photos, videos, or information; Detectives R. Geng and Sergeant N. Kennedy can be contacted.

Puga’s family has set up a GoFundMe titled Help Us Lay Adrian Puga to Rest to help cover funeral expenses. Did anyone at the event or nearby see something that could help identify the shooter?