A shooting on Interstate 80 in Richmond, California reportedly injured two people and resulted in the eastbound lanes of the freeway being shut down at San Pablo Avenue for five hours following an investigation.
6 lanes merging into 1 – you do not want to be on I-80 in #Richmond now. Here’s the latest on the highway shooting: t.co/4PRB3EBCuK
The violent incident involved two vehicles and took place around 4 p.m. PST during the midday rush on the busy freeway, the California Highway Patrol told SFGate. As of 6 p.m. PST, the eastbound lanes on the highway remain closed and didn’t reopen until 8:40 p.m.
The alleged suspects in the incident, which appeared to be a drive-by shooting, were detained by police in a residential neighborhood nearby shortly after responding to the shooting.
Here’s what you need to know about the incident:
1. 2 People Were Shot, 3 Are in Custody
LIVE VIDEO: 2 shot, 3 in custody after I-80 shooting in Richmond; Watch Sky7 over investigation: t.co/VFCHYJDR4b
The shooting left two people injured and one of them in critical condition, CBS San Francisco wrote.
CBS reported that the two victims are a male and a female, though their identities haven’t yet been released. The male victim was shot five times and remains in critical condition. The female was shot in her hand and will likely be OK.
CBS San Francisco reported that witnesses told police that people that were in a silver Dodge Charger pulled up alongside and shot at two people in a Honda minivan. The red car shown next to the minivan was reportedly involved in a crash with the van after the shooting, NBC Bay Area wrote.
2. 1 Victim Was Airlifted to a Hospital
One of the victims of the shooting, presumably the male subject listed in critical condition, was airlifted by helicopter to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek because of the seriousness of his injuries, East Bay Times reported.
Officials didn’t say how the second victim was transported to the hospital, and it remains unclear exactly what the male victim’s injuries are and where he was struck by the gunfire. It was the fourth shooting on a freeway in the Bay Area in the past two weeks.
3. I-80 Will Underwent a 5-Hour Closure
CHP: shooting closes down I-80 near Richmond t.co/kp2LiWDaL4
Officials from highway patrol closed all eastbound lanes of I-80 for about five hours until the investigation was complete. Traffic on the highway was stopped immediately in the eastbound direction when emergency personnel arrived, but the westbound lanes remained open despite the investigation ongoing on the opposite side of the median.
The shooting took place near rush hour, which forced drivers to exit the highway and find an alternative route to their destination. The mobile application Waze reported that the closure caused about an extra 23-minute delay for commuters.
4. The Victims Were Reportedly Targeted
CHP: Richmond Fwy shooting not random. Two victims shot were targeted. #ABC7now
Authorities investigating the shooting believe that it’s not a random shooting, rather the male and female victim were targeted by the suspects. The incident seemed to occur in a drive-by setting and police investigated the scene upon arrival.
The vehicles involved were a red SUV-type car and a silver minivan. Both cars were visibly damaged and the windows were smashed out.
5. Police Stopped the Suspects a Few Miles Away
Three people that were suspected to have an involvement in the shooting were detained by Richmond police after their silver Dodge Charger was pulled over in the Iron Triangle neighborhood, at 17th Street and Chancellor Avenue in Richmond, about one mile away from the scene. The car was pulled over 30 minutes after the shooting took place, according to Richmond police.
The identities of the suspects hasn’t yet been released by police, and it’s unknown what their motive was or what their exact charges would be.