A 42-year-old Santa Maria man was hospitalized Saturday afternoon after being shot outside a local store, according to Santa Maria police.
Officers responded shortly after 1 p.m. to a report of a shooting at the Discount Mall, 204 N. Blosser Road in Santa Maria, Sgt. Paul Flores said.
When officers arrived, they found the victim with a single gunshot wound to the arm, Flores said, adding that the injury was not believed to be life-threatening.
The victim was airlifted by helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The shooting appears to have stemmed from an earlier dispute at the store, Flores said, and the investigation was continuing.
The victim’s name was being withheld to protect investigative leads, and no arrests had been made as of Saturday afternoon, Flores said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
