Police officers from Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department surrounded a building on Pierson Blvd. and Palm Dr. at around 11:30 Wednesday morning. While some officers were at the ready with weapons drawn in full tactical gear, an officer kept asking the suspect of a shooting over a loud speaker to surrender.

The shooting was reported an hour earlier, Desert Hot Springs Chief Dale Mondary says it started as a dispute, “There was some sort of verbal argument between three people and that they fired at a vehicle, one of the vehicles fled from the area.”

He says officers found that car after a witness gave a description, “There were a number of bullet holes in that car so we detained that car and those occupants,” adding they were told the alleged shooter went inside the building, “we cordoned off the area we did find shell casings in front of the business indicating yes there had been some shots fired there had been some damage done to a vehicle that was parked in front.”

But he says that while the car belongs to one of the parties in the dispute the damage on the back windshield that appears to be damaged by a bullet, happened a different day.

The officers cleared the building but did not find a suspect.

Meanwhile on Sarita Dr., Mondary says a man there was shot, “A gentleman is alleging that some unknown assailant entered his house shot him three times in the lower extremities and he’s been transported to the hospital but at least the early indications are totally unrelated.”

Police did not give descriptions of the suspects involved in the shootings, but they say they’re actively investigating both shootings.

Desert Hot Springs Police Investigating Back to Back Shootings