1 dead, 1 injured in shooting near San Jose's World Cup watch party venue

One man was killed and another was severely injured in a shooting in downtown San Jose on Sunday night, a block from what has been the site of FIFA World Cup festivities in the city.

The San Jose Police Department said in a press release Monday that officers responded to reports of a shooting at around 9:12 p.m. at North Market Street and West Santa Clara Street, down the street from San Pedro Square Market, where crowds of fans have attended popular World Cup watch parties this month.

Officers responding to the incident found an unconscious man lying on the sidewalk suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Police said that despite lifesaving measures by officers and medics, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.  A second man was found several yards away with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and is expected to survive.

There was no watch party ongoing at the time of the shooting and the Police Department said the shooting was an isolated incident, though the motive and circumstances are still under investigation. 

"The shooting was also determined to be unrelated to any World Cup activities or watch party," said police spokesperson Stacie Shih. 

Shih added that the Police Department intends to keep high visibility around the area to ensure the safety of fans and visitors in downtown San Jose.  

San Pedro Square is hosting World Cup watch parties this week for knockout round matches, including Mexico vs. Ecuador on Tuesday and the U.S. vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in a a match played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Wednesday. 

This incident is being investigated as San Jose's 13th homicide of 2026.

Anyone with any information about this case was asked to contact Detective Sergeant Martinez #3934 and/or Detective Jize #4324 of the San José Police Department's Homicide Unit via email: 3934@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4324@sanjoseca.gov, or by calling 408-277-5283.