Authorities said the shooting was reported shortly after 11 p.m. Deputies responded to the fairgrounds and found a man who had been shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff's office has not released the victim's identity but said he was an employee working at the event.
"It is believed that the victim is a security guard who was working the event, and he was involved in some sort of altercation leading up to the shooting," said Alexandra Garcia with the Merced County Sheriff's Office.
No arrests have been announced.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact the Merced County Sheriff's Office.