Two people were killed and two others injured during an early-morning shooting Monday at a Monterey County beach, officials said.
Few details were released, but Monterey County sheriff’s officials said deputies and detectives were called to Moss Landing State Beach just before 2 a.m. about several shots being fired in the area.
When deputies arrived, they found two people dead along Jetty Road, said Cmdr. Andres Rosas with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies also located a third person who was injured and taken to a nearby hospital to be treated.
The two deceased victims appeared to have been shot, Rosas said. Officials would not disclose what the injuries of the third victim were.
A fourth victim was identified after they arrived at a hospital, Rosas said. The victim had non-life-threatening injuries, but Rosas declined to further detail the injuries.
During a news conference Monday, Rosas said officials were aware of a possible party that occurred on the beach but said it was unclear whether the event and the shooting were connected.
“We have nothing at this time that tells us, or can confirm, that these two locations were related,” Rosas said, adding that investigators were looking over the area and the crime scene as a precaution.
Officials declined to release any identifying information about the victims and said it was unclear how the incident unfolded.
“We do not know the circumstances under which those fatalities occurred,” he said.
California State Parks police closed Jetty Road and Moss Landing State Beach while an investigation was underway.
Sheriff’s officials said there was no active threat to the community. A spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.