Police: Shooting near Santa Rosa’s Coddingtown Mall possibly gang-related

Santa Rosa police on Monday continued their investigation into a shooting that injured two men near the Coddingtown Mall a day prior, saying it was likely gang-related.

Police found a handgun near the shooting site and were searching for at least one suspect. However, it’s possible more than one gunman was involved, said Sgt. Kyle Philp, who oversees violent crime investigations for the Santa Rosa Police Department.

“It’s a very confusing scene in which we have a lot of conflicting witness statements,” Philp said. “We’re still trying to piece together what happened.”

A friend drove the two wounded men, ages 21 and 24, to a local hospital Sunday afternoon after multiple gunshots were reported at about 5:45 p.m. at the shopping center on the northwest corner of Range Avenue and Guerneville Road. The men’s injuries were considered serious but not life-threatening, police said in a statement.

Police suspect the victims, who were not identified, are connected to a criminal street gang and that a confrontation with another group at the shopping center prompted the shooting.

Both men declined to provide officers with information about the shooting as of Monday afternoon, forcing officers to rely on other evidence, such as surveillance video from local businesses and witness accounts, Philp said.

“We’re trying to see if there’s anything that captured (the shooting),” Philp said.

A .380-caliber handgun was found in the bushes near the site of the shooting, and the department was investigating whether it was used in the crime, Philp said. He did not provide additional details on the weapon, including its make and model or whom it belonged to.

Police were examining a gold Toyota Camry that matched the license plate of a car seen fleeing the area after the shooting, Philp said.

The Camry, which had at least three bullet holes in its rear driver’s side door and spent shell casing inside, was found parked outside a home in the 1900 block of Terry Road, about a half-mile from the shopping center. The car was registered to someone in the home, though the person was not found inside the house when the Santa Rosa Police Department’s SWAT team went inside, Philp said.

Sonoma County Alliance’s Take Back Our Community program is offering a $2,500 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of suspects.

Police urge anyone with information on the shooting to call 707-543-3590. Callers can remain anonymous.