Davis City Council seeks solutions after Picnic Day shooting. ‘Not doing enough’

Davis City Council members suggested UC Davis’ famed Picnic Day tradition — a more than century old celebration which draws crowds equal to the city’s population — must improve its safety measures following a weekend shooting that leaders said Tuesday left residents fearful.

“We’re not doing enough to comfort them as a community as a whole,” said Councilmember Josh Chapman, who added residents sought more information about the investigation. But he added leaders must strike a balance between disclosing details and protecting the officers’ work.

Three people, including two teenagers and a 24-year-old, suffered what police called non-life threatening wounds Saturday at Community Park, 201 E. 14th St., when gunfire erupted. The city said Tuesday that preliminary information does not suggest the shooting was a random act of violence and there is no “ongoing risk.”

Elected officials during Tuesday’s City Council meeting sought steps to take outside of law enforcement’s investigation to protect residents. Davis Mayor Bapu Vaitla raised the prospect of meeting with UC Davis Chancellor Gary May and other partners who are involved to “make Picnic Day different than it is.” But answers were immediately hard to pinpoint.

Hundreds had convened at Community Park for a fraternity party, which had a noise permit, said Davis Police Chief Todd Henry. But the permit listed a smaller number of attendees than who eventually descended on the park, despite officers working with the fraternity to coordinate, Henry said. The Police Department typically plans for Picnic Day months leading up to the event, with regional agencies lending their officers to help, he said.

The same fraternity has held unsanctioned parties in years past and there have been no indications of violence, Henry added.

Henry, who oversees a smaller force, defended his officers tasked with investigating a complex incident. Five officers are solely focused on finding the perpetrator, when about triple the amount of investigators would be devoted by a larger jurisdiction, he said.

“We understand the frustration that comes from that,” he said, while vowing investigators worked as diligently as possible to solve this case.

Officers have identified people who are “probably involved,” but do not want to publicly identify an incorrect suspect, he said.

The large party led to very few people knowing who fired a weapon and made finding witnesses difficult as they scattered across the park, Henry said.

Henry said the Police Department is capitalizing on regional resources and leveraging its relationship with the FBI.

Oriana Wehner, whose 11-year-old son was playing in Davis Little League when the shooting broke out across the street, noted many children were traumatized. A victim injured in the shooting is a Davis Joint Unified School District student, officials said.

“I am hoping that the city does something to protect these kids in years to come,” she said.

City Council members were left wondering what steps they should take next.

“There is a lot of very justified fear and anger in the community,” Vaitla said, later adding, “We’ve got to figure out how to serve you better.”

Henry said there are no immediate solutions to best ensure a smooth running event. City reports since 2010 consistently raised questions about best addressing safety at Picnic Day and resulted in trying out various initiatives. Each one has had a varying degree of success, he said.

Protective measures also depend on the type of event, he said.

“I don’t have an answer for you today,” Henry said, “but we are definitely going back to the drawing board.”

This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 11:54 AM.