Carlos Valdiviezo is living a parent's worst nightmare. His Jacob was shot and killed right in front of their apartment building in the Mission District. Carlos says he heard gunshots and walked outside to find his son lying on the ground.
The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. when Jacob was walking home with a friend after a night out. San Francisco police say a man got out of a car and asked Jacob if he was in a gang, then shot him several times.
Neighbor Luis Salinas saw the whole thing from a distance.
"There were two guys walking this way," Salinas said. "But he only went for one person only, so he just let it roll. He shot em, shot em, shot em, shot em, took off and that was it."
Friends and family are shocked. They say Jacob wasn't part of any gang and have no idea why anyone would shoot him.
"We don't know," said Jacob's cousin Anabella Valdiviezo. "He wasn't affiliated with a gang. He wasn't even around here, he was home for spring break."
Jacob was a sophomore studying economics at Lewis and Clark College in Portland where he was a wide receiver on the football team.
He was also a graduate of Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco where he played sports and graduated with honors.
The 19-year-old's former PE teacher at St. Peter's K-8 School came to the site of the shooting to pay his respects. He also brought a basketball in Jacob's memory. Vinny Toth says that in addition to being a star athlete and a great student, Jacob was a good person.
"He and his little best friend were the ones who would stick up for the kids that were getting picked on, made sure everyone had enough of whatever," Toth said. "He was a great little guy."
San Francisco police have not released a description of the man who fired the shots nor of the driver of the car he got into and sped away with. Two neighbors we spoke with say they saw the shooter get into a grey 4-door sedan.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to contact SFPD anonymously at 415-575-4444 or text-a-tip to TIP411 with SFPD in the beginning of the message. You may also contact Homicide Division at 415-553-1145.
