This weekend’s shooting during an unpermitted concert at San Pedro’s Royal Palms Beach, which left five men wounded, occurred shortly before county security guards were set to arrive for their nightly patrol, officials said on Monday, March 6, though a lifeguard was still on duty.
In response to the Saturday night shooting, LA city and county officials announced on Monday that the beach would close early on the weekends until further notice.
Starting this weekend, Royal Palms — which was shuttered Sunday and Monday but was expected to reopen on Tuesday — will close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, county officials said. The beach and parking lot will close at dusk, the usual time, the rest of the week.
Elected and appointed officials said the shooting reflected periodic issues at the beach and underscored the need for greater safety protocols there.
“We need to balance preserving access to this beach with the demands of public safety,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a joint statement released late Monday with Councilmember Tim McOsker.
The early closures came at Hahn’s request. The Royal Palms Beach is mostly county-run, but the state and LA city also have some responsibilities there.
“This shooting was an escalation of a series of problems we have had at Royal Palms,” the joint statement said. “Closing the beach early on weekends is going to help us prevent another tragedy while we work with law enforcement on a long-term strategy.”
The shooting occurred early Saturday evening, March 4, with two men apparently firing into a crowd of 30-to-50 people at a reggae concert, which did not have a permit to operate, officials said.
Five people were shot, with one in critical condition as of Monday, said LAPD spokesperson Sgt. Bruce Borihanh.
The two men who apparently fired at the crowd fled in a silver sedan, the sergeant said. Investigators were still looking for the men and the sedan, he said.
It’s possible the shooting was gang-related, Borihanh said, though that’s not yet confirmed.
“Investigators at this time have not been able to gather any information” from several interviews, Borihanh said.
No other details were available.
But the shooting shook San Pedro, with residents and officials who represent the historic port town saying there is a need to better protect beachgoers.
Carol Baker, deputy director for community and operational Services for the county’s Department of Beaches and Harbors, said problems have been occurring “off and on” at Royal Palms.
The concert, which was advertised on social media, was not permitted.
“We don’t allow amplified music except in specific locations but as a general rule it’s not allowed on beaches for any organization,” Baker said. “And then a permit should be applied for and granted by the department.”
The county does have an evening security patrol at the beach, largely to help clear the parking lot and to keep motorists from going in after hours, Baker said. But the shooting on Saturday, she said, occurred just before the patrol’s shift was set to begin at 6 p.m.
The county security guards call law enforcement if they see crimes, Baker said
Despite that, one regular visitor at the popular-but-secluded beach, which sits along the bluffs below Paseo del Mar, said problems there have been escalating.
“I’m down there almost every day,” said San Pedro artist Stephen Mirich, who often paints sunsets at the spot, which is also popular with surfers. “Much of it started with the pandemic. Royal Palms became a place to meet up in the afternoon.”
When the parking lot gate keeper leaves at around 4:45 p.m., he said, “there’s just a stream of cars racing down there so they can park without paying.”
Over the next hour, Mirich said, “tons of younger people and groups head down there, most of them from out of town. It’s not the surfers or the local people.”
The beach, he said, needs more LAPD security patrols rather than closing early – especially with the days getting longer as summer approaches.
Hahn and McOsker, both of whom represent the area, have led the calls to find ways to make the beach safer for the public.
Both were on the scene shortly after the shooting and spent Monday meeting with officials from LAPD, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Beaches and Harbors to develop a plan for the area.
“Our community remains shaken by the shooting that occurred last Saturday,” McOsker said in a written statement, “and I hope the suspects are quickly apprehended and brought to justice.
“Royal Palms has previously been a place of dangerous behavior,” he added, “so it’s critical we make adjustments now for the safety of our neighbors and beachgoers.”
Los Angeles County Beach Commissioner Robert Bartlett said there was a thorough discussion at that panel’s Monday meeting.
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“There was a discussion on how we can get LAPD more involved,” he said, “and how we can communicate with them on a quicker basis, how we can get the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to be involved and work together.”
The problems there, Bartlett said, mostly consist of “gangs that have been coming on their own, or groups coming down and taking over.”
“This is the point,” he added, “where people have said finally enough is enough.”
The Monday commission meeting, Bartlett said, “was one of the best I’ve been to where everyone agreed it’s the responsibility of everyone and their agencies. This is a problem where everyone needs to come up with a solution.”