Two drunken men were arrested after allegedly shooting a handgun on a Santa Cruz beach on Memorial Day, Santa Cruz police said in a Tuesday news release.
The suspects caused panic as they allegedly fired bullets at an empty wine bottle, which they previously consumed, with a 9 mm “ghost gun,” police said. Officers arrived at the beach around 6 p.m. after receiving reports of gunshots, the department said.
Video footage from KSBW shows the “scary moment” when police evacuated Cowell Beach, a popular spot for longboarding and surfing next to the Dream Inn and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The video shows crowds of people screaming and running away from the beach.
After arriving on the scene, officers attempted to confront the suspects, who were hiding behind rocks on the west side of the beach, Santa Cruz police said. The two men were arrested on the scene by officers, who also found several bullet casings and a broken wine bottle, the department said.
One of the suspects, who is also a felon, was booked into Santa Cruz Main Jail on charges of a felon in possession of a handgun and ammunition, possession of a concealed loaded firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm and public intoxication.
The other suspect was booked into the same jail on charges of negligent discharge of a firearm and public intoxication.
Santa Cruz police said no beachgoers were injured during the incident.