Police say Pittsburg trail shooting was accidental

PITTSBURG, Calif. (KGO) -- Police say the latest shooting on a popular hiking and jogging trail in the East Bay happened when some young people were playing with a stolen gun they found.

The Delta De Anza Regional Trail in Pittsburg is a popular with local residents for recreation and commuting, but lately it has been the site of a series of violent incidents. Sunday night's shooting on the trail was the third in shooting there in two months.

Police now say the shooting happened when a group of teenage boys were randomly firing a stolen handgun.

"We have a group of teens who were in possession of a gun that had been reported stolen in a residential burglary here in the city of Pittsburg," East Bay Regional Parks Police Lt. Jon King said.

Investigators recovered more than 10 shell casings along a one mile stretch of the trail. The shooting is the second in a week along the 15-mile path and the third since May.

Last Wednesday, a 20-year-old year old man was shot in the head and died from his injuries. Investigators believe that shooting was an isolated incident, perhaps the result of a drug deal gone wrong.

Neighbors say the rash of violent incidents on the trail makes them want to stay away from it, especially at night.

"My grandchildren, I won't let them walk the dog on the trail because of all the trouble they've had out there," Pittsburg resident Noreen LaCosta said.

All the boys are between the ages of 14 and 18. Police say the shooting was preceded by a night of drinking and besides the gun, police recovered some property reported stolen in recent residential burglaries in the area.

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contra costa county, pittsburg, crime, shooting, east bay news, laura anthony

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