Gang motives suspected in shooting of 16-year-old girl at Santa Rosa park

A 16-year-old girl was wounded Monday night at a southwest Santa Rosa park in what police are describing as an unprovoked attack prompted by gang rivalries.

Detectives Tuesday still were looking for the lone shooter, and were given only a vague description of a suspect, including that he was a teen between ages 16 and 19 wearing dark clothing, possibly a black hooded sweatshirt, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. John Cregan said.

The shooting happened at South Davis Park, just southwest of the Highway 101 and Highway 12 interchange.

Witnesses who called 911 reported gunfire and a resident of a Barnett Avenue home told police a girl was at the door claiming she was shot, Cregan said.

Officers determined the girl was in a group of six friends hanging out at the park playground at about 9:20 p.m. Monday when they were approached by a teen who walked up to them and asked about their gang affiliation by saying “What do you guys bang?”

Members of the group were wearing blue, a color often affiliated with sureño gangs, but they told the teen they were not gang members, Cregan said.

“He immediately produced a gun concealed in pants picket, then shouts out gang challenges that clearly identity him as a gang member, then he opens fire,” Cregan said. “The group turns and runs.”

The shooter also ran away, he said.

The girl was wounded in her right leg and was treated at a local hospital then released.

Cregan said that detectives suspect some members of the group wore blue because of loose associations with a sureño gang, but they have no information suggesting any of them are active gang participants.

The Sonoma County Alliance “Take Back Our Community Program” is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects involved in this gang shooting.

Police are encouraging anyone with information about the case to call the gang crimes team at 543-3670.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@press?democrat.com or Twitter @rossmannreport. You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@press?democrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.