August 31, 2024 – Merced County Sheriff's Office officials report that Thursday night at approximately 7:45 P.M., Dispatchers received a call for an unresponsive person near Vine Avenue and Fruitland Avenue in Atwater. When Deputies arrived, they located an unresponsive male in the street, suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics arrived and attempted to perform life-saving measures. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A suspect was identified, and Deputies requested our SWAT team and Investigations Bureau to the scene. The suspect, identified as Straightarrow Justin McPherson, refused to come out of his residence nearby. After hours of negotiations, McPherson finally walked out of the house. He was arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail early on Friday morning for murder.

Source: Merced County Sheriff's Office