Two men who were shot at San Francisco’s Civic Center as the city’s Pride celebration was wrapping up on Sunday evening were vendors at the event, according to organizers.
The shooting was reported near Larkin and Grove streets at about 6:35 p.m. Sunday, just minutes after the official closing time of the celebration, which was held in Civic Center Plaza and the surrounding streets, police said.
Police said two suspects, described as men in their late teens or early 20s, approached a group of people and one suspect opened fire.
The victims, men ages 23 and 42, were both shot in the leg and are expected to survive, according to police.
The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee issued a statement saying that the victims were vendors at the event and were in the process of closing their booth when the shooting occurred.
“The ability to hold our annual celebration would not be possible without the hard work of and the important partnership with our vendors,” the statement read. “Our hearts go out to them for this terrible incident.”
The committee added, “At the close of a week where the LGBT community had had such tremendous victories, we are saddened that such a senseless and selfish act has occurred to diminish even one moment of our celebration.”
The suspects fled after the shooting and have not been found. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411 with “SFPD” in the message.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
