ESCONDIDO -- In a day of violence Saturday, two people were gunned down in two different residential Escondido neighborhoods.

In the first case, a 15-year-old boy was walking with a group of friends toward his West Escondido home shortly after midnight when he was fatally shot by other youths in a car, police said.

Late Saturday afternoon, a man in his 40s was outside a central Escondido apartment when he was killed by a single gunshot, possibly fired from a passing vehicle, police said.

Detectives worked overtime Saturday investigating the two cases, which appeared unrelated, police said.

Eduardo Aranda, a 15-year-old whose family said he'd lived in Escondido all his life, was found dead by police on the corner of Spruce Street and Seventh Avenue about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, said Escondido police spokesman Lt. Bob Benton.

Witnesses told police that Aranda was walking north on Spruce with several friends when a small red car drove up next to the victim and gunshots were heard.

When police arrived, they found Aranda not breathing and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but to no effect, Benton said.

Two teenage suspects in the shooting were in custody Saturday afternoon and more than one suspect was still at large, Benton said. Police said they were unsure if the shooting was gang-related.

The boy's mother, Maria Salazar, an employee of Villa del Rey retirement home on Washington Avenue, said her son was a normal, happy teenager who had been returning from a fast-food run when he was shot a few blocks from home. She said he'd had recent troubles with the law, but nothing violent that would have earned him enemies.

Salazar's cousin, Susy Gallegos, who said she was like an aunt to the teen everyone called "Eddie," said she guessed some unthinking kids shot Eddie to look tough.

"Imagine, that age with a gun; it's really dumb," said the woman who works as a medical assistant in Poway. "Hopefully they're watching right now, and they see how many people they hurt."

Flowers, candles and posters full of wishes addressed to the dead teen marked the spot where he fell. Throughout the afternoon, dozens of little kids, teenagers and adults from the neighborhood of small, family homes stopped to talk and reflect. Many said they didn't know Aranda but wanted to show their sympathy for the family. Some people identified themselves as friends or cousins. Most had moist eyes.

On Saturday, Salazar said she could hardly believe she wouldn't see her son again.

"There are times when I feel it's not true, because I haven't seen him yet," she said, referring to the fact that she had not seen her son's body. "There times when I know it is true and I lose it. But I have two other kids I have to stay strong for."

Her 11-year-old son cried when she told him the news, she said. Her 3-year-old daughter did not fully understand.

Anyone wishing to donate money towards the dead teen's services may contribute to the Eduardo Aranda Memorial Fund at Wells Fargo Bank, Gallegos said.

As police investigated the Aranda shooting, officers arrived at an alley between Third and Second avenues at Ash Street about 6:30 p.m. to investigate reports of a shot fired. There, they found a man in his 40s lying lifeless with a single gunshot wound, Lt. Craig Carter said.

As in the previous shooting, attempts to revive the man were unsuccessful.

More than a dozen investigators arrived to interview the throng of people who had been enjoying the sunny early evening when the shooting occurred, Carter said.

Initial reports indicated someone had fired from a truck as the man, who lived in the area, stood with friends. Carter said police did not believe the shooting was gang-related and that police anticipated releasing more information after they reinterviewed several witnesses at the station Saturday night.

The dead man's name was not released Saturday.

Contact staff writer Sarah Gordon at (760) 740-3517 or sgordon@nctimes.com.