Man and woman found shot and killed in car in Atwater, police say

Vince Ybarra Image
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Man and woman found shot and killed in car in Atwater, police say
An investigation is underway after two people were found shot and killed in Atwater.

ATWATER, Calif. (KFSN) -- A man and woman are dead after they were shot in a parking lot outside of a gym in Atwater on Monday night.



The Atwater Police Department says the man and woman were found in a car at Shaffer Road and Fortuna Avenue around 10:30 pm.



"We have no arrests have been made today. We are following up on every lead that we have. It's too early for us to say that we have a person of interest or suspect yet," said Chief of Atwater Police, Michael Salvador.



The two victims have been identified as 42-year-old Evangelina Ybarra and 41-year-old Ramon Lopez.



Chief Salvador wants people in the community to know that this shooting was an isolated incident.



For people who live in the area, it was shocking a shooting could happen so close to home.



"It was consecutive shots, like, boom, boom, boom, boom," said resident Valentin Betancourt.



He has lived across the street from the gym for over 15 years.



Although this is typically a safe area, he said he is concerned.



"When I heard that, I was like, 'Hopefully, there's no stray bullets.' Cause the people here, all the people here have little kids," said Betancourt.



Action News reached out to In-Shape Gym, the business where the shooting took place.



The fitness center declined our request for an on-camera interview, but a spokesperson sent us a statement, writing in part:



"We are aware of the incident that occurred last night in the parking lot, and our thoughts and condolences are with the individuals and families affected by this tragic event. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation."



The Atwater Police Department is encouraging anyone with information to contact detectives as this case is ongoing.



You can find the department's contact information by clicking here.



For news updates, follow Vince Ybarra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Copyright © 2024 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.