3 teens arrested after shooting at Santa Rosa park leaves teen hospitalized

By Brandon Downs

Three teenagers were arrested in Santa Rosa after another teen was shot at a park on Friday, police said.

On Saturday, the Santa Rosa Police Department said officers responded to Martin Luther King Jr. Park around 6:30 p.m. Friday, finding a 14-year-old had been shot multiple times in the lower leg. 

The teen was playing basketball at the park when he was approached by a group of young adults, who asked the teen if he was affiliated with a gang and tried to start a fight, police said. 

When the teen and his friend tried to run away, one suspect fired multiple shots at the teen, wounding him multiple times in the leg, police said. 

The suspects took off from the scene, while the teen victim was taken to a hospital for surgery, police said. He’s stable at the hospital. 

When at the scene, officers said they located multiple shell casings on Temple Avenue and interviewed multiple witnesses. They also gathered security camera footage. 

The investigation determined that three suspects took off from the scene in a grey 2022 Buick SUV, registered to a home in Santa Rosa. 

The Buick was found near Hearn Avenue and Dowd Drive a little before 10 p.m. When police conducted a traffic stop, they said three occupants — ages 17,16 and 15 — were arrested. Officers said the clothing of the suspects matched what they saw in the surveillance video and they also found additional evidence that is believed to be involved in the shooting. However, police said a gun was not recovered. 

The three suspects were booked into juvenile hall for assault with a firearm, participating in a criminal street gang, gang enhancement and unlawful assembly for the purpose of committing a violent act. 

The suspects’ names will not be released due to their ages. The shooting remains under investigation.