The San Rafael Police Department responded to numerous acts of violence on Friday, Sept. 15, after a peaceful celebration of Guatemalan Independence Day.
The independence celebration was held at Northgate mall in the afternoon. Police said the celebration attracted large crowds and was peaceful.
After the celebration, however, large crowds began to gather in the Canal District of San Rafael, a neighborhood that is largely Hispanic. The crowds grew to a level that streets were closed to maintain safety.
At about 10:30 p.m. violence erupted and continued throughout the night. Gunshots rang out and police later found a 25-year-old man shot twice on Novato Street. He was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. He was not identified at Marinscope press time.
At just after midnight, a 24-year-old man was taken to the hospital with a knife wound.
Then, at about 1:30 a.m. a 20-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound that was called “non life threatening.” Details of the shooting were not determined at press time due to the “uncooperative” nature of the victim, police said.
The SRPD coordinated with other law enforcement agencies in Marin to provide public safety during the extra-curricular activities after the earlier independence celebration at Northgate. That included the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, the Novato Police Department, Fairfax Police Department, Central Marin Police Authority, California Highway Patrol and the Ross and Mill Valley Police departments.
Police said that by about 1:45 a.m. Saturday morning (Sept. 16), the streets were reopened. All of the violence is under investigation and SRPD said it “now seeks the public’s assistance in shedding light on these violent incidents that have shaken the community.”
Anyone with information, video footage, or photographs of the events, are asked to come forward and contact the SRPD at (415) 485-3000.
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