Police respond to a shooting outside a McDonald's restaurant on South Bascom Avenue in San Jose. (KCBS) Police respond to a shooting outside a McDonald's restaurant on South Bascom Avenue in San Jose, March 16, 2011. (KCBS)

SAN JOSE (CBS 5) — A man in his 20s was seriously injured Wednesday during what police and witnesses described as a brazen daytime shooting outside a McDonald’s restaurant in San Jose.

The unidentified victim was shot in the head, “execution-style” in front of a horrified lunchtime crowd at the McDonald’s at 898 S. Bascom Avenue, across from the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

SJPD Officer Jose Garcia said it appeared that the shooter walked up to the victim and shot him once at close range, then ran north on South Bascom Avenue.

The victim was taken across the street to the hospital for treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries. There was no other immediate information on his condition.

There were bloodstains and a black beanie on the ground where the victim had been shot. Bystanders gathered outside nearby businesses throughout the afternoon to watch the police activity.

KCBS’ Mike Colgan Reports:

As police searched for the shooter during the noon hour, nearby Del Mar High School was briefly locked down as a precaution.

The gunman, who remained on the loose Wednesday evening, was described by police as a Hispanic or white male in his late teens or early 20s with a light complexion.

Police said they had not recovered the firearm used in the shooting and assumed that the suspect was armed and dangerous.

Garcia said it appeared there was not much interaction between the shooter and the victim before the shooter opened fire.

He said the motive was not yet clear and that police were looking into whether the crime was gang-related. He said the area did have its “fair share” of factions of the Norteño and Sureño gangs.

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