Davis, CA – In the aftermath of the shooting at Community Park on Saturday, Mayor Bapu Vaitla and Police Chief Todd Henry released a message of the community.
A festive afternoon at Community Park turned chaotic on Saturday when gunfire erupted during a large gathering, injuring three people and sending shockwaves through the Davis community.
The victims—two teenagers and a 24-year-old—sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital. They are currently recovering, according to city officials.
In a joint statement issued Sunday, Davis Mayor Bapu Vaitla and Police Chief Todd Henry acknowledged the impact the incident had on a day typically marked by celebration and community spirit.
“On a day that many of us would normally enjoy and celebrate in Davis, our community’s sense of safety and security was shaken,” the statement read.
“We do not condone violence in any form. We stand firmly against any actions that compromise the wellbeing of our residents, visitors or spaces.” – Mayor Bapu Vaitla and Police Chief Todd Henry
Police officers and emergency responders were already in the vicinity of the park and responded rapidly to the scene. The Davis Police Department has since committed extensive resources to the investigation and is working closely with regional and federal partners.
While details remain under investigation, preliminary findings suggest the incident was not a random act of violence targeting community members. Due to the number of potential witnesses and the volume of evidence to be reviewed, officials caution that the investigative process will take time.
City leaders urged patience and reaffirmed the community’s values.
“We do not condone violence in any form. We stand firmly against any actions that compromise the wellbeing of our residents, visitors or spaces,” Vaitla and Henry stated, emphasizing that Picnic Day should remain a time of “joy and belonging for everyone.”
As the city recovers from the shock, officials encouraged residents to reconnect and take time to care for one another. “Challenging moments will pass, and with time, healing and resilience take their place. We continue to be Davis Strong.”
Has any description of the shooters been released?
I haven’t been able to find anything.
When I talked to Beckwith on Saturday, he said they had preliminary descriptions which became muddled and contradictory, so at this point they don’t have any descriptions.
According to this news report there’s a photo circulating of a man with a gun at the park.
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/crime/davis-joint-usd-student-hurt-davis-picnic-day-shooting/103-19c3ff38-ae5b-4116-b85a-1ba55a58d506
Possible. Possibly not. Possibly not the suspect.
No kidding, but sounds like a great place to start.
Do we at least know what group or club was issued a permit for the park usage?
There were multiple events there simultaneously. There were baseball games going on at the fields. Arts programming at the arts center. It wasn’t just one thing.
Baseball games and Arts programming?
You’re a funny guy David.
There were literally kids playing baseball games on the fields and they all hit the deck when the shots were fired.
Yes, across the street from the permitted event at the park. Who actually got the permit to use the park that day?
So there’s still no description of the shooter being put forward?
I mean the police have to have some kind of an idea being that there were hundreds maybe thousands of people at the event.
“Many of you have asked about a description. The DPD does have descriptions, but will not be releasing them until they can validate them and ID the shooter. The DPD does not want to jeopardize the ability of investigators to investigate this crime by releasing a description and alerting suspects, potentially causing difficulty in locating suspects or destruction of evidence.”
— Mayor Vaitla on Facebook today (4/15)
Today’s Sacramento Bee had a picture of a young man with a gun in his hand. The gun had a high capacity magazine.
CBS news found a now deleted post from the Sigma fraternity on their event that read in part:
“PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY CONFLICTS OR DISPUTES IS PIGNIC DAY. ANY PLANNED ALTERCATIONS OR RETALIATORY ACTIONS ARE NOT WELCOME AT THIS EVENT.”
This seems to me they knew of the potential for violence. I don’t ever recall seeing a statement like this in regard to any event, ever.
“A UC Davis Phi Beta Sigma fraternity event was permitted to be ongoing in the park when those shots rang out. Davis police could not confirm a connection but said the student group is part of their investigation and they are cooperating with police.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/davis-police-continue-search-suspect-picnic-day-shooting/