SAN DIEGO – A 25-year-old man was fatally shot Tuesday night outside an apartment complex in Linda Vista, according to police.

The shooting happened just after 9:20 p.m. near 6900 Eastman Street. A news release from the San Diego Police Department said the agency received several 911 calls about the shooting then found a man with injuries to his upper body in the patio area of a nearby home.

The unidentified 25-year-old died at the scene despite paramedics’ life-saving efforts.

Witnesses told homicide detectives that two or three men approached the victim and his companions and issued a “gang challenge.” The suspects fired several rounds at the victim, striking him at least once.

Police said the assailants then fled the area in opposite directions in a dark-colored, 4-door sedan and a dark SUV. A detailed description of the suspects was not available.

SDPD said detectives are collecting evidence and trying to locate witnesses. Video of the scene late Tuesday showed more than a dozen people gathered outside of the complex, with some hugging one another.

One witness told the Union-Tribune they heard at least four gunshots. Officers at the scene also reportedly found several shell casings in a nearby parking lot.