Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro, the site of a weekend shooting that left five men wounded, will reopen tomorrow — but officials said new, restricted weekend hours will be implemented at the troubled seaside location.
According to a joint announcement by County Supervisor Janice Hahn and Los Angeles City Councilman Tim McOsker, the beach will close at 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays until further notice.
The beach will continue to close at dusk Mondays through Thursdays, and all closing times also apply to the beach parking lot, the officials said.
Both officials also said there have been other concerning incidents at the beach.
Soon after Saturday night’s shooting at a barbecue — in which one of the five victims was critically wounded — Hahn and McOsker announced that Royal Palms would be closed Sunday as well as close earlier on weekends “as we work on plans together to ensure safety and peaceful community use.”
The complete closure was extended through Monday — and Monday’s announcement by the two officials provided details of the new closure hours going forward.
“We need to balance preserving access to this beach with the demands of public safety,” Hahn said in a statement Monday. “This shooting was an escalation of a series of problems we have had at Royal Palms. 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.”
McOsker, whose 15th Council District includes San Pedro, said in a statement Monday, “The tragedy of this weekend highlights why it’s so important to keep our beaches and our parks safe.”
“Our community remains shaken by the shooting that occurred last Saturday and I hope the suspects are quickly apprehended and brought to justice,” he added. “Royal Palms has previously been a place of dangerous behavior so it’s critical we make adjustments now for the safety of our neighbors and beach goers.”
The shooting was reported at 5:45 p.m. Saturday at Paseo Del Mar and Graysby Avenue, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Warren Moore.
Two suspects approached the men and an altercation ensued that led to the shooting, police said.
“We’re outraged and saddened by the shooting at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro that has left five people injured,” Hahn said Saturday night in a joint statement with McOsker. “It’s tragically ironic that today we hosted a gun buy-back event just a few miles away from this location. Gun violence is wreaking havoc on our community.”
Four of the wounded men were taken to hospitals by paramedics, Moore said. One victim was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle. One victim was in critical condition and the other four had stable vital signs, police said.
The LAPD confirmed the shootings were the result of an altercation.
The two suspects fled in a silver sedan, police said.
Moore told the Los Angeles Times the suspect has been described as a man in his 20s with a buzz haircut, wearing all black, including a black mask, and is believed to have fired a semiautomatic handgun.