One confirmed dead in Medford shooting - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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One confirmed dead in Medford shooting Wednesday Nov 22, 2017 at 8:15 PM Nov 22, 2017 at 11:25 PM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat One person is confirmed dead in a Chestnut Street shooting that neighbors described as a drive-by. Police are on the lookout for a dark-blue or black minivan that was possibly linked to the shooting of a man who was gunned down in the 300 block of Chestnut Street just before 5:39 p.m. Wednesday, according to Medford police Lt. Justin Ivens, who spoke at the crime scene. Medford police late Wednesday identified the victim as Christian Barajas, 23, who police believe was walking on Chestnut Street when the shooting occurred. Police were on the scene within a minute of the shooting, which Ivens could only confirm to be a homicide in the early stages of the investigation. "Call it what you want, we do believe it's a homicide," Ivens said. "Do we believe the vehicle was in motion at the time this occurred? Had it stopped? We don't know yet." The minivan believed to have been involved headed south toward Main Street after the shooting. Medford police made an arrest in a Monday drive-by shooting on Hamilton Street believed to be gang-related, but Ivens said it was too soon to tell whether the Wednesday shooting had ties to gang activity. Barajas was found lying dead on the side of the street from an apparent gunshot wound when police arrived, according to a Medford police release. At the crime scene, resources in the dozens aided Medford officers, including Oregon State Police, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, the District Attorney's Office and a deputy medical examiner. "We have probably the majority of our criminal investigations division out here right now," Ivens said Wednesday evening. Neighbor Miranda Linville said she witnessed a man gunned down in the middle of Chestnut and heard four shots fired. Another witness who didn't provide her name said she observed the vehicle speeding toward the area of Chestnut Street and Meadows Lane. — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.