Teenage Suspect Taken into Custody Following Shooting at Santa Monica Pier

Panic erupted at the Santa Monica Pier over the weekend when a shooting incident shattered the calm, leading to chaotic scenes at the bustling tourist hotspot. An 18-year-old named Jaysawn Williams has been apprehended in connection with the incident.

Williams, a resident of Rialto in San Bernardino County, was arrested after he sought medical attention at a local hospital for a graze wound sustained during the shooting. The Santa Monica Police Department confirmed his arrest, stating that he faces charges of assault with a firearm and grossly negligent discharge of a firearm.

During the turmoil, two individuals were injured, among them Williams himself. The second victim sustained a gunshot wound to the arm, a result of the violence ignited by a large brawl that erupted on the pier.

In response to the shooting, authorities temporarily shut down the iconic pier, prompting a frantic exodus as visitors sought safety.

Footage from the scene captured the moment gunfire interrupted the pier’s usual activities, showing a child engrossed in a game at the arcade while other patrons dashed for cover as shots rang out.

Video from the incident showed a child playing a game in the pier’s arcade when gunshots rang out and visitors were seen sprinting away.

“A lot of screaming. Everybody was screaming and running. It was crazy,” witness Jenna Hannaford, who was visiting from Wisconsin, told ABC 7.

“We were here to enjoy our night, and this kind of cut it short.”

Another witness, a business owner, described the frantic search for the shooter following the incident.

“It appeared that the kids ran, the guy who shot, and then the police began to take control of searching for … what they did is they closed the exit for a while,” the witness, Dennee, told ABC 7.

“They were looking car by car for a potential shooter, and then they went to the beach. It lasted for a couple hours.”

It’s unclear what started the fight. Williams is set to appear before a court Tuesday morning.

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