Two people were killed and two others injured in a shooting along Jetty Road next to Moss Landing State Beach in Monterey County early Monday, the sheriff's office said. Deputies responded to reports of gunfire shortly before 2 a.m. and found two victims dead at the scene with gunshot wounds, while a third person was hospitalized with injuries described as not life-threatening.
What responders found
Commander Andres Rosas told reporters that a fourth person arrived at a hospital on their own while the response was underway. He declined to detail that person's condition Monday afternoon and said investigators had not yet formally classified the deaths as homicides, citing open questions about the sequence of events.
California State Parks temporarily closed Jetty Road and the beach while Monterey County detectives processed the scene. State Park peace officers and California Highway Patrol units assisted. The beach reopened around 3:30 p.m., according to a parks news release, though the sheriff's office continued to lead the inquiry.
Party site and access questions
Investigators cordoned off a nearby stretch of sand that showed signs of a gathering, including discarded cups and bottles, but Rosas said it was unknown whether that location was connected to the shooting on Jetty Road. Chief Ranger Mike Dippel noted the beach normally closes at sundown, yet a vehicle gate is often left open overnight because staff are not always available to lock it before dawn.
The combination of after-hours access and a remote jetty road has drawn scrutiny from local officials who have dealt with periodic enforcement challenges along the Central Coast harbor community.
Threat assessment
Rosas said there was no active shooter when deputies arrived and that the department did not believe the Moss Landing community faced an ongoing threat. He also acknowledged that a perpetrator could still be at large, stressing that "no active threat" did not mean every question about who fired had been answered.
Sheriff Tina Nieto asked anyone with information, "regardless of how insignificant it may seem," to contact the department at 831-755-5111. Victims' names were withheld pending notification of relatives.
Political reaction
Assemblymember Dawn Addis, whose district includes the area, said her "heart is with those who are affected by this heinous violence" and pledged to continue working on gun-violence prevention. The statement landed as California voters elsewhere on the ballot weighed local public-safety measures, though no link to electoral activity was suggested in the investigation.
What investigators seek next
By Monday evening authorities had released no suspect description, vehicle information, or motive. Detectives were canvassing Jetty Road and reviewing any available witness accounts from the harbor, a working port known for fishing charters and research vessels rather than large nightlife crowds.
Until they identify a shooter, the case will remain an open homicide inquiry on a state beach that had just reopened to the public after a day-long closure— a reminder that even low-traffic coastal parks can become crime scenes without warning.