San Francisco Shooting - Four men were murdered in the upscale Hayes Valley neighborhood Friday night, according to authorities. The victims of the San Francisco shooting who were reportedly shot to death were found shot inside a black 2005 Honda parked near the corner of Page and Laguna streets.
The back window on the driver's side of the vehicle was found shattered. However, the windshield and back window have been found intact. The car had its amber lights and taillights on after the crime, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
According to police, the San Francisco shooting, which resulted in a quadruple homicide, occurred around 10 p.m. Friday in the 200 block of Page Street.
The area where the stolen car was found sat on a Victorian-lined street near the trendy boutiques and upscale restaurants. The neighbourhood has thus become increasingly popular with young professionals.
All four male victims of the San Francisco shooting reportedly died at the scene, according to Lt. Tony Chaplin of SFPD's homicide division. Their names have not yet been revealed by police.
No suspects are in custody yet, according to USA Today.
According to Police Chief Greg Suhr, as told to the San Francisco Chronicle, at least four guns were probably involved in the San Francisco shooting. Inside the stolen car, there were two guns found with the bodies of the victims.
Though no information about a possible motive is determined, Chaplin said the gang task force unit is already on the scene of the San Francisco shooting. The authorities have also cordoned off several blocks with yellow crime tape, as well as canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses as part of the investigation.
Suhr also said that together with the department's gang task force, the homicide unit is also working the San Francisco shooting case to prevent possible retaliatory violence if in any case, gang rivalry is involved.
"We need to figure out why this happened. If we can discover that, then we will know if there is another shoe that is going to fall," Suhr said. "We need to be out in front of that."
The SFPD's ShotSpotter gunshot detection system was activated too. The system has reportedly been set up all around the city to detect the location of the shooters. With the system's help, the police have determined that there were at least 15 shots fired and that a semi-automatic weapon was used in the San Francisco shooting.
A possible suspect vehicle has been identified however. Police are working to verify its model, which was seen speeding away at the time of the San Francisco shooting. The vehicle was described as a newer model silver Scion.
After hearing gunshots from the San Francisco shooting, residents reportedly called 911 and said they heard rapid gunfire that sounded like firecrackers, as well as a car crash. At least one parked car was reported to have been hit by the bullets, which also pierced nearby homes. One of the bullets also surprisingly hit a neighbor's refrigerator, according to police.
The barrage of gunfire from the San Francisco shooting has clearly left residents shaken.
One resident named Chris Surowiec tweeted shortly after the calls to police: "Moved from Brooklyn to SF for this? As we all get up to check locks on windows and doors. SF Shooting #hayesvalley."
Meanwhile, a neighbour, Robin Levitt, 62, said, "We thought it was firecrackers at first, but then we heard the police."
Police have in turn tried to calm the rattled public Saturday.
A police spokesman also released a statement about the San Francisco shooting that said, "The SFPD would like the public to be aware as the investigation continues, the police department believes there is no threat to public safety in the neighbourhood."
"Additional police resources have been assigned to the area to address any potential for further violence," the statement concluded.
After the San Francisco shooting Friday, on Saturday morning, 61-year-old Victoria Austin, a priest at the nearby San Franciso Zen Center, have decided to put up a memorial on a post with flowers attached saying, "1/9/16/ drive-by 4 people rest in peace."
"I was awakened by sounds, saw the flashing lights," she said of her experience on the incident. "I had hoped violence and the causes of violence in the neighborhood were done. It's not over. It's a shock to everyone. It's painful, and we don't know much about it."
The latest San Francisco shooting which led to 4 deaths adds to a grim new year in the city-county. In 2014, there are a reported 45 homicides the city, according to the San Francisco Gate.
The San Francisco shooting Friday night also appear to be the most serious mass killing since the alleged killings of Binh Thai Luc who reportedly used both a sharp-edged weapon and a blunt instrument to kill five people in the Ingleside district in 2012. According to the Los Angeles Times, anyone with information to the case may call (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 with SFPD at start of message.
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