Social Media Exchange leads to Shooting
On 06/08/2014 at approximately 1835 hours, the Hemet Police Department received a call of a large group of individuals fighting at 3707 Mustang Way (Brubaker Park). As officers responded to the area, additional callers began reporting that one of the subjects had a gun and had fired several shots. Officers arrived at the location a short time later and determined that no one had been hit by the gunfire and all of the suspects had fled the scene after the shooting.
After additional investigation, officers learned that the incident had apparently started out as a mutual combat situation between several members of two groups. During the mutual fight one of the subjects produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds at members of the second group causing all parties to begin to flee.
Officers later learned that the victims in this case had become upset when they saw a video on a popular social media site which allegedly showed the suspects beating an elderly male subject in the 1200 block of S. Sanderson Ave in the city of Hemet. After exchanging posts on a popular social media site, all parties agreed to meet back at the location and fight. The fight eventually moved to the city park where the shooting occurred.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing however at this point the original victim has not come forward and the original video has been removed from social media. Hemet Police Detectives are asking anyone with further information about either incident to contact Detective David Purcell at 951-765-2421.