San Rafael, CA – On September 14, 2026, the San Rafael Police Department’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) program helped officers quickly locate and arrest an armed shooting suspect Monday morning after numerous 9-1-1 callers reported hearing gunfire near Kerner Boulevard and Fairfax Street.

Shortly before 9:00 AM, SRPD Dispatchers began receiving emergency calls reporting a single gunshot in the area. Witnesses provided information about a male suspect who had fired a handgun and then fled the scene. SRPD officers responded while the department’s DFR drones, “Air 2” and “Air 3,” were deployed to assist officers with locating the shooting scene and searching for the fleeing suspect.

Responding officers contacted individuals involved who had been in an argument with the suspect, later identified as Alex Alfredo Velasquez-Perez, a 21-year-old San Rafael resident. Based on the preliminary investigation, officers learned that Velasquez-Perez and another male recognized one another and became involved in a verbal confrontation. Investigators believe the confrontation may have been related to a street gang rivalry.

During the confrontation, Velasquez-Perez began removing a handgun from a backpack. While doing so, the firearm discharged, striking Velasquez-Perez in the leg. No other individuals were struck by the gunfire. Velasquez-Perez then fled the area before officers arrived.

Officers obtained a detailed description of Velasquez-Perez and immediately broadcast the information to responding personnel. Additional officers searched the surrounding area while Air 2 and Air 3 searched from above.

At approximately 9:10 AM, Air 3 located a person matching the suspect’s description walking through an apartment complex in the unit block of Larkspur Street, approximately one block from the shooting scene. The drone maintained visual observation and directed nearby officers to Velasquez-Perez’s location. Officers contacted him and took him into custody without further incident.

Officers immediately observed that Velasquez-Perez had sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and provided first aid. San Rafael Fire Department paramedics responded and transported him to a local hospital for treatment. His injury was determined to be non-life-threatening, and he was subsequently medically cleared for booking.

As part of the continuing investigation, SRPD Detectives obtained and served a search warrant at Velasquez-Perez’s residence. During the search, detectives located and seized the handgun believed to have been used during the incident.

Following his release from the hospital, Velasquez-Perez was booked into the Marin County Jail on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon/firearm and possession of a concealed and loaded firearm in public.

This incident demonstrates the value of SRPD’s Drone as First Responder program as an additional public safety resource. Within minutes of the initial 9-1-1 calls, DFR personnel searched the surrounding area from the air, located the fleeing suspect, and provided his location to officers on the ground, allowing them to safely take him into custody.