It happened after 8 p.m. Monday night at Denver Avenue and Frankfurt Court in Merced.
19-Year-old Israel Dodge told police he was leaving a friend's house when three men approached him and asked where he was from. Dodge says they shot him after he said he wasn't from Merced.
Dodge tried to run away but was hit twice. He was able to get to a neighbor's house to call police.
Detectives suspect the shooting is gang related. No word on the extent of Dodge's injuries.