San Rafael police arrested a 21-year-old man Monday, Sept. 14, after he allegedly shot himself in the leg while pulling a handgun during a confrontation in the Canal neighborhood.

Alex Alfredo Velasquez-Perez of San Rafael was booked on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a concealed and loaded firearm in public. He remained in Marin County Jail on Tuesday, Sept. 15, on $50,000 bail, the Marin Independent Journal reported.

The incident began around 9 a.m. Monday when multiple 911 callers reported hearing a gunshot near the corner of Kerner Boulevard and Fairfax Street, according to a San Rafael Police Department press release authored by Sgt. Justin Graham.

Officers who arrived found people who had been arguing with Velasquez-Perez. Investigators determined that Velasquez-Perez and another man recognized each other and got into a verbal confrontation that police believe may have been related to a street gang rivalry.

During the argument, Velasquez-Perez began pulling a handgun from a backpack, according to police. The gun went off and struck him in the leg.

No one else was hit.

Velasquez-Perez fled before officers arrived. The department deployed two drones from its Drone as First Responder program, designated "Air 2" and "Air 3," to search the area. About 10 minutes after the first 911 calls, Air 3 spotted a person matching the suspect's description walking through an apartment complex on the unit block of Larkspur Street, roughly one block from the shooting scene.

The drone kept visual contact and guided officers to Velasquez-Perez. He was taken into custody without further incident.

Officers saw that Velasquez-Perez had a gunshot wound to his leg and provided first aid. San Rafael Fire Department paramedics took him to a local hospital. His injury was not life-threatening, and he was cleared for booking.

Detectives later obtained a search warrant for Velasquez-Perez's residence and seized the handgun they believe was used in the incident.

The SRPD's drone program has been operational since October 2025. Police used the same technology in a July 28 shooting on Irwin Street, where two juvenile suspects were apprehended.

The Canal neighborhood has seen multiple shooting incidents in 2026 in which investigators have examined possible gang connections. In a separate case, an 18-year-old San Rafael man was arrested in connection with a June 26 shooting on Louise Street on suspicion of attempted homicide.

Anyone with information about the Sept. 14 shooting can call San Rafael police at (415) 485-3000 or submit tips through the department's website.