Easter Sunday Shooting on Punta Gorda Street

Santa Barbara Police detained three males in connection with an eruption of gunfire that took place on the 1300 block of Punta Gorda Street on the city’s Eastside this Sunday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m.

Police spokesperson Anthony Wagner said police arrived within minutes of the call but found no victims on the scene. Wagner said detectives found numerous bullet casings on the ground. He would not disclose what caliber of gun — or guns — were involved or even how many guns might have been used. Preliminary indications suggest that that the shootings were preceded by some sort of altercation, Wagner said.

Not long after, officers with the police department stopped a car on the 1300 block of Santa Barbara Street and detained three males — no ages or names provided — whom investigators believe may have been involved with the shooting. Wagner declined to classify this incident as gang related, saying it was premature to make such a determination.

There’s been a spike in gang violence over the past couple weeks. Two weeks ago, two individuals were stabbed on the 300 block of North Milpas Street in what appears to have been a gang related assault. None of the injuries were life threatening. A day later, there was a melee on the city’s Westside involving baseball bats and crowbars. No one was killed, but two reportedly required medical attention. “The investigation is evolving and remains very fluid,” Wagner said.