One person was killed and another was injured on Wednesday morning after a shooting on a Muni train between Forest Hill and Castro stations, District 7 supervisor Mirna Melgar said on Twitter.
Melgar, citing information from the San Francisco Police Department, said the shooter had escaped from a train at Castro station and was still at large, but stressed that police did not treat the incident as a situation of an active shooter.
“We have too many weapons there,” Melgar said in a follow-up tweet. “Too much, too much.”
At around 9:56 a.m., San Francisco police responded to a call to fire at Muni Forest Hill Station, but found on the spot that the train had already left and headed for Castro Station, according to police spokesman Alison Maxi.
Officers found the two victims at Castro station. One was taken to a general hospital in San Francisco with life-threatening injuries, and police and fire crews provided emergency assistance to the other. The second victim was pronounced dead on the spot, Maxi said.
Police confirmed no arrests and described the attacker as a man wearing dark clothes and a hooded jacket.
Maxi said the incident did not appear to be related to the upcoming celebrations in San Francisco or the wider LGBTQ community in the Castro area.
Melgar told The Chronicle that the shooting was not accidental and that the suspected shooter and another man were in a heated argument before the shooting.
“The shooter pulled out a gun and shot the man he was arguing with,” Melgar said. “The second victim did not take part in the verbal quarrel, but simply turned out to be right next to the other victim.
Melgar said witnesses heard three to four shots just as the train was leaving Forest Hill Station.
It is unclear whether the shooting of the second victim, a woman, was accidental, she said. The victim was injured in the knee and survived, Melgar said.
Police are currently questioning witnesses and have closed the station on Castro Street to gather evidence, Melgar said.
City officials on Wednesday morning urged residents to avoid the area between Castro and Market streets due to police work, and said shuttle buses were being set up to transport people from West Portal to Embarcadero / Folsom streets.
U.S. Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, called the violence a “horrific tragedy” and noted that it happened on a section of the subway line that he passed “thousands of times.”
“This is another reminder that as long as our country is full of weapons, shootings can happen anywhere, anytime,” he said in a statement. “California has the strictest gun safety laws in the nation, and we continue to strengthen them. But we need strong action from Congress to really improve the security of our community. “
Megan Cassidy is a full-time writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
Add Comment