Man wields gun at football game at Santa Maria High School

September 2, 2021

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Police are seeking help from the public in identifying a man who pulled a gun during a fight at a youth football game at Santa Maria High School on Saturday.

Santa Maria police are also trying to identify others involved in the altercation, which occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Initially, 911 callers indicated a shooting had occurred. However, an initial investigation found no evidence of a shooting, according to the Santa Maria Police Department.

Investigators determined two groups of people were involved in an exchange of words, then a physical altercation occurred. During the fight, an individual pulled out a firearm, witnesses told police.

Officers located and interviewed some individuals who were involved. Police also managed to recover a firearm at the scene that they say was related to the altercation.

Detectives are conducting a follow-up investigation.

Santa Maria police say many spectators may have witnessed the incident and left the area before officers arrived. Officers are asking anyone who has information about the individuals involved to contact Detective Hall at (805) 928-3781 ext. 1308.