SANTA CRUZ (KRON/BCN) — A shooting occurred late Sunday night after a concert in downtown Santa Cruz damaging a car with three people inside, police said.
Officers responded to a report of gunshots heard in the area of the 500 block of Center Street shortly after 11:30 p.m..
Officers had been patrolling the area because of earlier reports of multiple fights as people were leaving a concert on Pacific Avenue, according to police.
They were able to determine that the shooting was at Center and Elm streets, where witnesses heard multiple gunshots, police said.
Witnesses also reported a gold Acura leaving north on Cedar Street and a dark-colored sedan speeding away south on Cedar Street.
Responding officers found shell casings at the scene, police said.
Police were able to stop an Acura about a half-mile north of the shooting in the 700 block of Chestnut Street, where it was found with multiple bullet holes on the driver’s side of the car.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded .45-caliber handgun in a passenger’s purse, but the firearm didn’t match smaller shell casings found at the shooting scene, according to police.
A 20-year-old man was driving the Acura with a 27-year-old woman and 30-year-old man as passengers. All three are from Salinas.
The vehicle’s occupants were considered victims of the shooting and didn’t know why they were targeted.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Santa Cruz police.