A Message to the Santa Rosa Community from Chief John Cregan 

Dear Santa Rosa Community, 

I want to take a moment to follow up on the recent shooting that occurred outside of the Roseland Cinco de Mayo Festival last night. 

This was a gang‑related incident that took place in the parking lot of the Roseland Library, which is also the future site of our department’s substation. While the shooting occurred just outside the defined footprint of the festival, it is important to acknowledge that hundreds of community members were gathered in the immediate area, enjoying a family‑focused event intended to bring people together. Tragically, a nearby taco truck was struck by a stray round, highlighting how close this violence came to harming additional people.   

There were several thousand community members still enjoying the thriving festival and celebrating this important day for our city. It is deeply disheartening to see an event centered on connection, family, and community impacted by such a senseless act of violence. 

At the same time, I want to express my pride in the officers who were working at that event. They heard the gunfire and immediately ran toward it, locating the victim within seconds. Their actions brought calm to a chaotic and dangerous situation, and they quickly rendered emergency medical aid while ensuring the safety of those nearby. Their courage and professionalism are a reflection of the commitment our officers have to our community every day.  Our incredible partners with the Santa Rosa Fire Department were quickly on the scene, and their efforts ensured the victim survived his serious injuries.   

Detectives with our Gang Crimes Team responded immediately and worked through the night to investigate this shooting. Through their efforts, they developed leads that resulted in the identification of one of the individuals involved. At approximately 3:30 a.m., officers assigned to our Special Enforcement Team located and safely detained a 19‑year‑old suspect in the area of Ridley Avenue and Jennings Avenue without incident. He has since been booked into jail on charges related to assault with a firearm and participation in a criminal street gang. 

While this arrest represents important progress, our work is not done. The firearm used in this incident has not yet been recovered, and we believe additional individuals were involved. We are asking for the community’s continued partnership. If you have any information that may assist in this investigation, we encourage you to come forward. Working together, we can hold those responsible accountable and continue our efforts to reduce violence in our community. Please call our Gang Crimes Team tipline at 707-543-3670 if you have any information. You can read more about the shooting and find information about a reward for information leading to the arrest of additional suspects here. 

This incident underscores the ongoing need for focused, proactive efforts to address gang‑related violence. Our Gang Crimes detectives play a critical role in investigating and disrupting gang activity across Santa Rosa, and our Special Enforcement Team continues to work tirelessly to remove illegal firearms from our streets and respond quickly to acts of violence like this one.  Just so far in 2026, our police officers have seized a total of 276 illegal firearms, with 196 of those firearms being privately manufactured firearms, more commonly referred to as “ghost guns”.  

Law enforcement alone cannot solve this complex community issue. We will never arrest our way out of this problem. We must examine why youth in our community are choosing to be armed with illegal handguns and making the decision to use these firearms in acts of violence. As Chief, I remain committed to strengthening our partnership with the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership, our faith community, and other community organizations. Together, we are working to address the root causes of gang involvement and to provide support, intervention, and opportunity where it is needed most in our community.  

Gang violence is not just a policing issue; it is a community issue, and it will take a community‑wide effort to create lasting change. We must continue to work together to ensure that Santa Rosa remains a safe, welcoming place for everyone to live, work, and gather.   

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. 

Sincerely,  

Chief John Cregan