This weekend’s shooting during an unpermitted concert at San Pedro’s Royal Palms Beach, which left five men wounded, occurred shortly before county security guards were set to arrive for their nightly patrol, officials said on Monday, March 6, though a lifeguard was still on duty.
In response to the Saturday night shooting, LA city and county officials announced on Monday that the beach would close early on the weekends until further notice.
Starting this weekend, Royal Palms — which was shuttered Sunday and Monday but was expected to reopen on Tuesday — will close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, county officials said. The beach and parking lot will close at dusk, the usual time, the rest of the week.
Elected and appointed officials said the shooting reflected periodic issues at the beach and underscored the need for greater safety protocols there.
“We need to balance preserving access to this beach with the demands of public safety,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a joint statement released late Monday with Councilmember Tim McOsker.
The early closures came at Hahn’s request. The Royal Palms Beach is mostly county-run, but the state and LA city also have some responsibilities there.
“This shooting was an escalation of a series of problems we have had at Royal Palms,” the joint statement said. “Closing the beach early on weekends is going to help us prevent another tragedy while we work with law enforcement on a long-term strategy.”
The shooting occurred early Saturday evening, March 4, with two men apparently firing into a crowd of 30-to-50 people at a reggae concert, which did not have a permit to operate, officials said.
Five people were shot, with one in critical condition as of Monday, said LAPD spokesperson Sgt. Bruce Borihanh.
The two men who apparently fired at the crowd fled in a silver sedan, the sergeant said. Investigators were still looking for the men and the sedan, he said.
It’s possible the shooting…
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