The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting death of a man that occurred Tuesday evening, Feb. 17 in a rural area along Santa Fe Avenue between Hughson and Denair.

The victim of the shooting has been identified as Steven Elliot Losey, 25, of Riverbank.

The death has been ruled a homicide, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Anthony Bejaran.

Around 8:30 p.m. the Sheriff's Department was dispatched to the area of Santa Fe Avenue and Berkeley Road, just outside of Denair, for a report of a person shot. The first deputies to arrive at the scene found Losey in a truck with a gunshot wound.

Losey was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, Bejaran said.

Losey's gunshot wound was first reported by witnesses who had seen him driving erratically before crashing on the shoulder of Berkeley Road.

Just after 9 p.m. sheriff's detectives learned that a second victim had been admitted in to a hospital in Merced County with a non-life threatening gunshot wound.

Bejaran said it appears that the second shooting victim is linked to the homicide, but it is not known at this point in the investigation what the relationship is between the second victim and Losey.

The second victim is an adult male.

Santa Fe Avenue was closed for hours as the Sheriff's Department collected evidence and examined the crime scene. Early Wednesday morning detectives located what they believe to be the crime scene which is a short distance from where Losey crashed his vehicle. Detectives spent the afternoon processing the scene and interviewing witnesses.

Anyone with information about the case can contact Crime Stoppers at 521-4636, e-mail tips at http://www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers, or text them to CRIMES (274637) by typing "Tip704" and leave an anonymous tip. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.