UPDATED: 16-year-old Hospitalized in Early Morning Shooting in Banning

Update 2:30 p.m.:  Banning police tell Patch that the shooting of a 16-year-old early Thursday morning was gang-related.

The unidentified boy– who was undergoing surgery Thursday but was expected to survive a gunshot wound to his lower back– is believed to have been injured during some sort of gang confrontation, according to Banning Police Sergeant Ray Arretche.

"We have referred the case over to the gang unit," he told Banning-Beaumont Patch Thursday afternoon about the ongoing investigation.

Though arrests have not been made in the case yet, investigators do have a few leads on suspects, Arretche said.

"It's a matter of finding these people," he added.

Anyone with information for police can contact the department at 951-922-3170.

Original story posted July 11, 2013 at 10:25 am:

A 16-year-old was hospitalized in Banning Thursday morning, after he was shot in his back, police are reporting.

Banning Police Chief Leonard Purvis says the shooting was reported around 1:11 a.m. in the 3000 block of W. George Street, near Sylvan Park.

When police got to the scene after getting a report of a gunshot victim in the area, a car was spotted leaving.

"Responding officers followed a vehicle leaving the scene to the San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning," a press release from the chief says.  "The vehicle was transporting the victim to the hospital."

Once there, officers found a 16-year-old who had been shot once in his lower back area, according to the release.  He remained hospitalized as of mid-morning Thursday, but his condition was unknown. 

Police say they are still investigating the incident  and don't have details yet as to the circumstances that led up to the incident.