An aspiring military member's life was tragically cut short in a late-night shooting that claimed two lives and injured another in Yuba City, California. On the evening of July 26, 2026, 18-year-old Moses Mendoza was fatally shot outside a 7-Eleven on Market Street. The Sutter County Sheriff's Office confirmed that another Yuba City resident, 21-year-old Fernando Cortez, also died in the incident. A third individual, a 19-year-old man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the hand and later sought treatment at a local hospital.
According to the Yuba City Police Department, the shooting occurred at approximately 10:54 p.m. following reports of a physical altercation and gunfire. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered both Mendoza and Cortez with gunshot wounds. Mendoza was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Cortez succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The preliminary investigation indicated that a fight preceded the multiple gunshots that rang out, shattering the evening calm. The California Department of Justice was called in to assist the Yuba City Police Department with processing the crime scene.
In the wake of the tragedy, Mendoza's family remembered him as a hardworking and funny young man who was the oldest of seven siblings. They stated that he worked for the Yuba City Unified School District and had ambitions of joining the military. His family was adamant that he had no criminal record or any affiliations with gangs. As of late July 2026, authorities had not made any arrests in connection with the double homicide and were actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting to identify those responsible. The investigation into the deaths of Moses Mendoza and Fernando Cortez remains ongoing as police continue to seek information from the public.
