A juvenile was shot and found seriously wounded on a Santa Maria sidewalk Wednesday night in what was at least the fourth shooting in Santa Maria this month.

At 10:13 p.m., a Santa Maria patrolman was flagged down by witnesses in the 800 block of S. Pine Street and shown the victim who had just been shot nearby. Multiple Santa Maria officers were reportedly in the area at the time of the shooting.

Nevertheless, the suspect or suspects fled the area in a small sedan before officers arrived, according to a Santa Maria Police Department press release.

Responders transported the victim to the hospital. His current condition is unclear.

At least three prior shootings have taken place in September, one of which left a 19-year-old man dead. Another man was stabbed in an alley earlier this week.

Additionally, there was a shooting on Aug. 24, which was Santa Maria’s first murder of 2017. Since then, violence has picked up considerably.

In 2015, Santa Maria had 13 murders. The city had at least nine homicides last year.