1 Critically Injured In Shooting At Massive Santa Rosa Sideshow

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — One person was critically injured in a shooting Thursday night at a sideshow in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa.

Law enforcement officers from throughout Sonoma County responded to the sideshow that drew an estimated crowd of 750 people and 200 cars, the Santa Rosa Police Department said.

The department was monitoring Cinco de Mayo celebrations going on throughout the city and received information about sideshows forming in multiple areas around the city and county, Santa Rosa police Lt. Jeneane Kucker said.

Around 7:30 p.m., SRPD received reports of sideshow activity in the area of Sebastopol Road at West Avenue.

"Within minutes, the crowd grew to over 200 vehicles and hundreds of people gathered in the intersection to watch sideshow activity," Kucker said. "By 9 p.m., there were an estimated 750 people and over 200 vehicles in the area participating or watching the sideshow."

Because of large numbers of spectators and cars blocking intersections, the department continued to monitor the activity while formulating a response, Kucker said.

At 10:08 p.m., the SRPD dispatchers received a report that someone was shot in the 800 block of Sebastopol Road. The caller told dispatchers they were driving the gunshot victim to a local hospital.

"The 22-year-old, male victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his lower extremities," Kucker said.

He was in critical condition Friday morning but was expected to survive.

Detectives responded to investigate the shooting and SRPD took a proactive approach to the incident by coordinating with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, Petaluma Police Department, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, and the California Highway Patrol to respond effectively to the sideshow activity and shooting, Kucker said.

In a coordinated effort, officers from the various departments were effective in pushing people and cars out of the intersections and the area.

"After the dispersal, sideshow activity ceased for the evening," Kucker said. "Public safety is our priority. The Santa Rosa Police Department will continue to work with our law enforcement partners on a proactive response to prevent sideshow activity in Sonoma County."