CHP investigating Richmond freeway shooting as targeted incident

RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- The California Highway Patrol provided new details Friday after a shooting on a busy East Bay freeway caused a massive traffic jam and has left one victim clinging to life.

Investigators say the shooting was part of growing pattern.

"I would hesitate to speculate as to why someone would endanger all these innocent lives on the freeway," CHP Officer Jason Reardon said.

MORE: CHP says freeway shooting was targeted

Within hours of Thursday's brazen shooting on Interstate 80 in Richmond CHP investigators say they had three young men in custody, 24-year-old Elliot Johnhenry Johnson and two 17 year olds.

"These are heinous events, so dangerous to the motoring public. So many of which are innocent bystanders," Reardon said.

The shooting happened as traffic crawled along Eastbound I-80 near San Pablo Avenue when a car pulled up to a blue Honda Odyssey and opened fire, leaving a 24-year-old woman injured, and the driver in grave condition.

A good samaritin in a red Volvo came to the victims' aid while other witnesses provided information that led police to the suspect's silver car in Richmond's Iron Triangle.

"The reason this case was solved so quickly was due to several outstanding witnesses, including an off-duty police officer coming forward and providing us with information," CHP Officer John Fransen said.

A special CHP task force is working on the I-80 incidents involving gunfire in just the past 15 months, including last month's murder of a young man on Highway 4.

"Our residents are not able to travel safely on our freeways," Hercules Councilman Dan Romero said.

Romero wants Caltrans to set up license plate readers along sections of freeway. "We have gang members who have chosen to take their rivalry off the city streets and go onto the freeway."