Quick Take
A shooting that left two victims in critical condition occurred on Aug. 8 in the parking lot outside the Crow’s Nest following the Thursday Beach BBQ Party, a free recurring event series held on the beach in front of the Santa Cruz Harbor restaurant. The Crow’s Nest confirmed that the remaining three events planned for the season will continue through the end of the month.
Following a shooting that left two victims in critical condition on Aug. 8, the Crow’s Nest will hold its Thursday Beach BBQ Party events through the end of the month as scheduled.
The Santa Cruz Harbor-area restaurant hosts the free public event series, with live music, food and an outdoor bar, on the beach adjacent the restaurant on Thursdays through the summer, and regularly draws hundreds of people to what are considered family-friendly events. This year, the season started on May 23. Final beach parties are planned for this Thursday and for Aug. 22 and 29, and will be held as booked, the Crow’s Nest confirmed to Lookout.
Last week, police said an altercation led to a shooting in the parking lot in front of the restaurant just before 9 p.m. when the beach party was ending. An unknown suspect fled the scene, and two victims were taken to a trauma center where they were in critical condition, according to a media release from the Santa Cruz Police Department the following day.
It’s unclear whether there will be increased police presence at the upcoming events. SCPD did not respond to a request for comment, and the Crow’s Nest would not say whether there will be additional security measures.
The Crow’s Nest has not publicly acknowledged the shooting in a statement or on social media. “We have decided as a team not to comment to the media,” said manager Alisha Dodds.
Sam Kemp, who was attending the party on Aug. 8, said he was walking to the bathroom in the parking lot when he heard some loud “bangs.” As he got closer to the source of the sound, he saw people running away and a victim on the ground.
“I heard him say that he got shot and then more and more people came and circled him,” Kemp said. “We started seeing some blood, but he was conscious and talking the whole time.”
The shooter is still at large, according to police. The cause of the altercation is unknown to police, and the investigation is still ongoing.
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