1 killed, 6 injured following shooting at 'unsanctioned' party in Morgan Hill, police say

MORGAN HILL, Calif. (KGO) -- Authorities are searching for a suspect after a shooting at a large party in Morgan Hill left one person dead and six others injured Saturday night, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were called to the area near Hale Avenue around 10:15 p.m. Saturday. When they arrived, they found hundreds of people running from the scene.

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The shooting occurred at an unsanctioned party in an unincorporated area south of San Jose, where authorities said about 300 people had gathered.

Social media posts obtained by ABC7 Eyewitness News showed the event had been widely shared online and promoted as a safe gathering. Neighbors said a local livestreamer had rented the field for a birthday celebration. It was livestreamed on Twitch and other social media platforms.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies were initially dispatched to the large open field after reports of intoxicated people throwing bottles at cars. As deputies arrived shortly after 10 p.m., partygoers were fleeing after gunshots were fired.

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Six people were injured in the shooting, and one person was killed. The victim had not yet been identified by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office.

"This is senseless. This is not something we want to see in our community, this level of violence. But rest assured, our deputies and our detectives are committed to leaving no stone unturned and making sure that we find whoever did this and bring them to justice," sheriff's office spokesperson Daniel Jarosz said.

In a statement, Sheriff Bob Jonsen called the violence unacceptable and offered his thoughts to the victim's families, those recovering from their injuries and others affected by the incident.

Jonsen said the investigation is expected to be lengthy and complex. A handgun was believed to be the weapon used in the shooting, but no suspect had been arrested as of Sunday.

Neighbors seek answers

Zoe Gonzalez, who moved to the area with her family a few months ago, said they were searching for a quiet community.

"We wanted a calm neighborhood. far from a lot of stuff," Gonzalez said.

When the family arrived home Saturday evening, they noticed the gathering but did not initially think much of it. Around 10 p.m., they heard gunshots and went outside.

"Right after we came outside. There was just a bunch of teenagers running that way, a lot of cars. And we saw three cars crashed," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said the incident left residents shaken.

"I was still kind of shocked. Like, I don't know what to say about it, but I'm just glad that we're safe personally, and I hope that everybody who's injured is safe as well," she said.