A shooting in Moss Landing overnight has left two people dead and two others injured, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office said Monday morning.
Deputies responded to the report of a shooting along Jetty Road adjacent to Moss Landing State Beach just before 2 a.m. on Monday, Monterey County Sheriff's spokesperson Cmdr. Andres Rosas said at a press conference. Deputies arrived to find two people dead and a third person injured, Rosas said.
The injured person was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. A fourth person arrived at a hospital after having been shot and that person's condition was not known, Rosas said.
Adjacent to the shooting scene on Jetty Road, investigators cordoned off a section of beach with crime scene tape around a location that showed evidence of a gathering, with trash left behind including empty bottles and red plastic cups.
"So the crime scene itself is on Jetty Road. We are aware of a location that is in the area," Rosas said when asked about the second location. "We are processing that out of an abundance of caution as part of our investigation. At this time, we do not know if that's related to this incident."
There was no information on any motive in the shooting and the victims were not identified. There was no suspect information, and while the sheriff's office said earlier Monday that there was currently no active threat to the community, Rosas said a shooter could still be at large.
"There is a possibility of that. We have not said that that's not the case, we have simply said that we do not feel that there is an active threat to the Moss Landing community," Rosas said.
California State Parks Police have closed Jetty Road and Moss Landing State Beach at the request of the sheriff's office.
"My heart is with those who are affected by this heinous violence. We must continue to work to end gun violence, and I am committed to doing so," Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) said in a prepared statement. "As the families and our community mourn, I thank the Monterey County Sherrif and all who responded at this time of need."
"This is a tragic incident that has resulted in the loss of two lives. Our detectives are working to establish the circumstances surrounding what occurred," Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said in a statement. "We ask anyone who may have information, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, to come forward and assist with this investigation."
Anyone with information about the incident was urged to contact the Monterey County Sheriff's Office at 831-755-5111.
