DAVIS, Calif. — Three people were wounded Saturday afternoon after reported gunfire broke out at a popular festival in Davis, causing a rush to safety, according to police.
Hundreds enjoying the traditional spring gathering fled after the reported shooting near Community Park, a sprawling recreational area north of the UC Davis campus.
Neighbors living close to the park said they heard a series of loud sounds, whether firecrackers or gunfire, in rapid succession — shortly after 2:40 p.m. Immediately after, some 500 to 600 people were seen streaming out of the park, many looking distressed.
On police and fire dispatch radio, incident responders described the event as a “stampede.”
The park crowd was spillover from the annual Picnic Day event hosted by UC Davis. The campus tradition revolves around an open house for prospective students and their parents.
City police referred to the event as a “reported shooting” but would not provide additional detail. Emergency responders radioed that they were treating three patients at the community Little League baseball field, according to scanner traffic on Broadcastify.com. Among those wounded was a 15-year-old with a gunshot wound to the foot, according to the radio traffic.
This year’s Picnic Day, a free celebration, featured a parade, battle of the bands, fashion show and other events on an otherwise picture-perfect day with mild temperatures and a deep blue sky.
The city had established a “Safety Enhancement Zone” in the area, as it has done since 2011, according to its website. It credited the threat of increased fines with helping reduce “undesirable behavior” during Picnic Day.
Attendees described the aftermath as chaotic. A police helicopter circled and a loudspeaker gave orders to those in the area: “The school is closed. The park is closed. Find your way home. Please. It is time for you to leave. Leave.”
One 17-year-old said a friend was among those injured. The woman, who gave only her first name, Nana, said her friend was grazed by a bullet and left in an ambulance.
A young man — who didn’t want to give his name — said he was detained about half an hour because police said he matched the description of the alleged shooter.
After a half-hour, he said, they apologized and released him.
Police sent phone alerts asking the public to avoid the area as officers conducted their investigation. No further information was immediately available.