Authorities closed the beach and Jetty Road while investigators worked the scene, with officials saying there was no active threat.
MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Multiple people were killed and others injured in a shooting shortly after midnight Monday near Moss Landing State Beach in Monterey County, prompting a large law enforcement response and the closure of the beach and Jetty Road, authorities said.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and detectives responded to the area along Jetty Road after the shooting was reported early Nov. 2. Officials confirmed multiple fatalities and other casualties but had not released a complete count of those killed or injured as the investigation continued Monday.
The Sheriff’s Office said there was no active threat to the Moss Landing community. Authorities did not immediately release information about what led to the shooting, who may have been responsible or whether anyone had been detained. The names and ages of those killed or injured also had not been made public.
North County Fire Protection District Chief Jess Cortez told KTVU that responding crews found two people with gunshot wounds who were pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters also treated another person with minor injuries who was taken to a hospital. That account represented the patients handled by fire crews and did not establish the full number of casualties reported by the Sheriff’s Office.
Cortez said fire personnel cleared the scene at about 2:40 a.m. Law enforcement investigators remained in the area later Monday. Aerial images from the scene showed investigators working across portions of the beach as they examined the area and marked potential evidence.
California State Parks Police responded and closed Jetty Road and Moss Landing State Beach at the request of the Sheriff’s Office. Jetty Road runs from Highway 1 toward the north side of Moss Landing Harbor and provides access to the state beach. California State Parks describes the beach as being about 16 miles north of Monterey.
The shooting occurred in an unincorporated coastal community between Monterey and Santa Cruz. Moss Landing is centered around a working harbor and lies next to Elkhorn Slough, while the state beach and surrounding coastal areas draw fishers, birdwatchers and other visitors.
Authorities had released few details by Monday afternoon. The Sheriff’s Office said the case remained an active investigation and that additional information was not being released at that time. The exact number of victims, the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the identities of those involved remained unknown.