Birthday party shooting stuns Antioch
by Justin Lafferty
Jan 26, 2012 | 3485 views | 3 3 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Six people were injured Saturday night when shots were fired during a Sweet 16 party on Wilmont Court in a relatively quiet part of Antioch.<br><i>Photo by Richard Wisdom</i>
Six people were injured Saturday night when shots were fired during a Sweet 16 party on Wilmont Court in a relatively quiet part of Antioch.
Photo by Richard Wisdom
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Six people were injured in a shooting Saturday night at an Antioch girl’s 16th birthday party. Police continue the search for the suspects.

According to Antioch Police Lt. Scott Willerford, three or four young men opened fire at the party on the 5000 block of Wilmont Court, injuring male Antioch residents ages 13, 18 and two 16-year-olds, plus a female Antioch resident age 21 and a Brentwood resident age 18.

The victims sustained injuries ranging from superficial graze wounds to a possible fractured leg and a wound to the abdomen. All six were rushed to area hospitals via ground and air. Some have since been released. Acting Lt. Diane Aguinaga said Monday that none of the victims are in critical condition now and that all are stable.

Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando said that while several people showed up to the party uninvited, police are still investigating whether or not they were the shooters.

The incident was sparked by an argument in the garage. Antioch resident Renee Souza, who lives in the area, said that about 60 teenagers were hanging out on Wilmont Court that night. As her son was pulling his car into the driveway, he heard someone shout, “It’s going down in five minutes.” Shortly thereafter, Souza and her family heard gunshots.

“When we went out, we could see six people lying on the ground who’d been shot,” Souza said. “It was just complete chaos.”

Souza said she knows the people who live in the house, and until Saturday night, things had been pretty quiet in that neighborhood. Police have patrolled Wilmont Court occasionally, Souza said, but for nothing too serious. Fliers had been distributed in the neighborhood that day informing residents of the party.

Antioch Unified School District Superintendent Donald Gill said Monday he worked with Antioch police to learn if any of the victims are district students.

Gill said students from Deer Valley High School, Black Diamond Middle School and Dallas Ranch Middle School were at the party, but does not know if they were involved in any way. Extra staff and counselors were present at the school this week to help students and faculty through this difficult time.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Gill said.

At roughly 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Antioch officers responded to the report of a shooting on Wilmont Court, then received several other calls from those fleeing the party.

Officers discovered that an argument between two groups broke out in the garage, where 30 to 40 partygoers were gathered. Guns were brandished and numerous shots were fired from multiple guns.

Antioch police received help from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the Pittsburg Police Department and the Brentwood Police Department to assist the victims, secure the scene and identify those involved.

Antioch officers are still searching for the shooters, who are believed to be three or four male juveniles or young adults.

The incident triggered worldwide news coverage. Shortly after local news outlets reported the shooting, several publications around the world picked it up. ABC News, the Washington Post, FOX News, the Chicago Tribune and even the the Daily Mail of the United Kingdom posted the story on their websites.

Comments
(3)
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stardork
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January 26, 2012
Section 8....its that simple
Behaviorquest
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January 24, 2012
What is happening to this formerly "nice" part of Contra Costa County? How have we sunk so low and allowed this infestation of gangs and those with no respect for themselves or anybody else? The citizens of East Contra Costa County have to take back what so many worked so hard to build up. Was it allowing in all the subsidized housing, a natural outcome of the economy tanking or parental abdication? Good questions that should be discussed regularly in community forums.
your_neighbor
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January 25, 2012
I agree! Have you read the recent police crime reports through the City of Antioch? If you go the the City of Antioch website and click on departments, then click on Police, then click on crime reports you may be flabbergasted by the tremendous number of crimes, residential break-ins just in the month of December. There are only pockets of Antioch that have not been affected. But when you visually see the crime map you can see the "sharks swimming in and around you".

God did not intend for us to be a people of fear, living in fear. It is time for us to step up, meet your neighbor, develop positive relationships, have a sense of community and relationship that bonds against crime. We should/shall not tolerate what is going on in our communities. I don't care what the economy looks like. We need to help each other and fight crime.

God bless you!

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