Authorities said two men were shot Saturday night at the Junipero Beach parking lot where police had recently tried to crack down on what one city council member called a “free for all” of illegal activity.
Police said they were still gathering information on a suspect and trying to determine a motive, but they believe the two men were wounded shortly before 10 p.m. Both were hospitalized in stable condition.
The parking lot has been a sore spot for residents. Dozens of them complained at a community meeting last month that it was plagued by loud music, drug use, gang activity and fireworks at all hours of the night.
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Not long after the meeting, police began nightly sweeps at the lot and other parts of the Downtown coastline — often clearing out people camping on the beach along with people parked after hours.
The ramped-up enforcement apparently didn’t drive away all the illegal activity.
Councilmember Cindy Allen previously said she’s also pushing for the city to upgrade the lot’s parking-control arm into a security gate that can be locked after hours.