Davis police call for patience as hunt for Picnic Day shooter continues
Davis police on Monday continued their search for the person or people who shot and wounded three people in the city’s Community Park on Saturday sending UC Davis Picnic Day revelers scrambling from the chaos.
Investigators are looking at an Instagram photo that surfaced Sunday of an armed man clad in ripped blue jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt. Posted to the account “916times,” the young man is shown slightly crouched and gripping a handgun with an extended magazine as a seemingly unaware crowd of parkgoers mill nearby. By Monday afternoon, the post had over 14,000 interactions and nearly 900 comments on Instagram.
Davis police Lt. Dan Beckwith on Sunday told the Davis Enterprise newspaper that the photo appeared to be a real image taken at Davis Community Park and that the photograph had become “part of our investigation.”
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Davis police did not immediately return requests for comment Monday, but police and city leaders on Sunday called for patience and calm from the Davis community in a joint statement Sunday as the shooting probe continued.
“Preliminary information indicates this shooting was not motivated by a desire to randomly harm community members,” the statement from Davis Mayor Bapu Vaitla and Police Chief Todd Henry said in part. “Due to the large number of potential witnesses and evidence, the investigative process will take time. As the Department works through this complex investigation, we ask for patience.”
But the officials’ characterization of the shooting posted to the police department’s Facebook page was criticized by many who said the statement’s language downplayed Saturday’s violence.
Three people, including two teenagers, were wounded by gunfire in a crowded park Saturday during one of the city’s signature events and near Little League games in progress. The teens, and a 24-year-old who also was shot, were recuperating at a local hospital, officials said.
One of the teen victims attends school in Davis, Davis Joint Unified School District confirmed Monday via email. Counselors were available on Davis campuses Monday, district officials said.
District administrators also met Monday morning with school site leaders. They shared talking points with their staff to help guide their conversations with students who wanted to talk about the Saturday shooting, said district officials.
Though the officials acknowledged the shooting in the joint statement, some commenters railed at characterizations of crowds at Davis Community Park who were “disrupted by the sound of gunfire.”
“We encourage everyone to take a moment to breathe, reconnect and ease back into the rhythm of daily life,” the statement concluded. “Challenging moments will pass, and with time, healing and resilience take their place.”
“Just to clarify — there wasn’t just the sound of gunfire. There was actual gunfire,” said commenter Sarah O’Connor. “Real bullets. Real victims. Let’s not downplay what happened. Words matter, especially when public safety and community trust are on the line.”
“What a sad excuse of a statement! 3 People were SHOT in a Park, right across the street from 4 Little League Games IN PROGRESS!,” said Julia Anne. “Nothing like attempting to DOWNPLAY 3 SHOOTING VICTIMS in Davis because they Survived!”
Christopher Cassels said simply: “I thought it was actual gunfire, not ‘the sound of gunfire.’” Others drafted statements they believed should have been released instead.
Davis police continue to seek witnesses to Saturday’s shootings. Call Davis Police Department at 530-747-5400 or email the department at policeweb@cityofdavis.org.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 1:33 PM.
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