Man fires 5 shots in southeast Santa Rosa; no one injured

A man fired about five shots from a handgun after arguing with a group of men Friday evening in Santa Rosa's South Park neighborhood, police said.

The unidentified suspect was arguing with a group of men about 6:30 p.m. Friday on the Newhall Bike Path, near Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, when he shot at them, said Sgt. Brandon Matthies of the Santa Rosa Police Department. The suspect and the other men fled soon after.

A nearby resident heard the shots and came outside, Matthies said. As the suspect was running away, he pointed a gun at the resident and threatened them.

Santa Rosa police officers searched the area, as did the Sonoma County Sheriff's helicopter, but were unable to locate the suspect or the men he shot at. Officers found shell casings, and determined that the suspect used a small caliber handgun to fire about four to five shots.

Officers haven't found anyone who was struck by the gunfire, Matthies said. One of the shots fired went into a house on the 800 block of Aston Avenue, but it didn't injure the resident who was home at the time.

Matthies said the suspect was described as a man in his mid-20s wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

You can reach Staff Writer Chantelle Lee at 707-521-5337 or chantelle.lee@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ChantelleHLee.