Oxnard Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Critically Wounded : Crime: Police say they are searching for a suspect who fled the apartment and was known by the victims.

A shooting in a south Oxnard apartment left one man dead and another critically wounded Monday afternoon, as police searched for at least one suspect who fled the scene, authorities said.

Oxnard firefighters found Jerome Hurst, 25, of Oxnard dead on the living room floor of the apartment in the 1400 block of Friedrich Lane shortly before 2 p.m., authorities said.

Vernon Hunter, 27, who lives at the apartment with his girlfriend and two children, was found outside lying on a neighbor’s doorstep bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds.

Hunter underwent surgery at St. John’s Regional Medical Center and was listed in critical condition Monday night, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Responding to calls from neighbors who heard gunshots and Hunter’s cries for help, firefighters first found Hunter and then discovered Hurst’s body inside the apartment after asking neighbors where Hunter lived, authorities said.

Hurst, who worked at Furr’s Cafeteria on Channel Islands Boulevard, was shot multiple times in his upper body, police said. He was dead by the time firefighters arrived.

“There were no vital signs,” Oxnard Fire Capt. George Todd said. “We connected him to a heart monitor and it was flat-lined.”

Hunter was also shot multiple times.

Todd said it appeared Hunter had been shot three times, twice in the back and once on the side of the neck. One of the bullets passed through Hunter’s body and exited through his chest, he said.

Despite the wounds, Hunter managed to get out of the apartment. “He staggered outside to a neighbor’s door and banged on the door,” Todd said.

And he was able to tell authorities about the shooting, Police Sgt. Charles Dunham said.

The shooting was not gang- or drug-related, Dunham said. Police also said neither Hunter nor Hurst had been robbed. But the victims knew the person who shot them, he said.

“This person showed up and shot them,” Dunham said. But, first, “there was an exchange” of words. “We’re still trying to identify the person we’re looking for,” he said.

Dunham also said police believe they know the motive behind the shooting, although he refused to disclose it.

Neighbors said Hunter, his girlfriend and her young son and daughter had moved to the apartment complex about six months ago.

The children often played outside with neighbors’ youngsters. And residents said they saw Hunter, who friends said is currently unemployed, working on his car in the back alley.

“They’re very good neighbors,” Maria Garibay said. “We’ve never had problems with them.”