The red plastic cups scattered across the sand at Moss Landing State Beach were left behind by a gathering that ended with two high school students shot dead.
Two people were killed and two others wounded in a shooting along Jetty Road, next to Moss Landing State Beach in Monterey County, Calif., just before 2 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said. Sheriff’s deputies, State Parks staff and CHP officers answered reports of shots fired, and deputies found two people dead at the scene.
Both of the dead were students in the Salinas Union High School District, the district superintendent said in a statement Monday night, Nov. 2. “Our hearts are with the student’s family, friends, classmates, and all those whose lives have been touched by this devastating loss,” the superintendent said.
A third person who had been shot turned up separately at a local hospital, and that person’s condition was not known. A fourth was taken from the scene with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Firefighters arriving at the scene found two people shot in the chest and a third with minor injuries, North County Fire Protection District Chief Jess Cortez said. Fire crews cleared the scene about 2:40 a.m.
The Gate Was Open All Night
California State Parks Chief Park Ranger Mike Dippel said people come together for parties on the sand even though the park shuts at sundown. “These people were here after hours,” Dippel said.
The beach’s entrance gate was open when the shooting happened; Dippel said it is routinely left open for anglers and surfers who arrive early in the morning. After the shooting, State Parks Police shut Jetty Road and Moss Landing State Beach at the sheriff’s office’s request. The beach, closed while deputies canvassed, has since reopened. State Parks also plans to step up patrols there.
Aerial footage showed dozens of investigators walking the beach and placing evidence markers, with a cooler and cans visible along Jetty Road. Investigators also cordoned off a second spot on the beach that showed signs of a gathering — empty bottles, red plastic cups and a portable toilet. Monterey County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Andres “Andy” Rosas, the office’s spokesperson, said the crime scene itself is on Jetty Road and that the second location is being processed out of an abundance of caution. Investigators do not know whether it is connected, he said.
Possibility a Shooter Is Still Out There
Asked whether a gunman could remain at large, Rosas said there was a possibility of that, and that the office had said only that it does not believe there is an active threat to the Moss Landing community. Detectives have released no suspect information and no motive.
The sheriff’s office is not releasing the names of the two people killed until forensic exams are done and their families have been told. An autopsy will determine the causes of death. Investigators have not determined whether the deaths were a homicide, a suicide or something else, and Rosas said they have no information on whether those involved knew one another. He told reporters the investigation would be a long one.
Sheriff Tina M. Nieto called it a tragic incident that cost two lives and asked anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, to come forward. The office’s tip line is 831-755-5111. Authorities asked residents and visitors to stay away while the scene was processed.
An “Unspeakable Horror” Days After Fairfield
State Sen. John Laird called the shooting an “unspeakable horror.” Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, said in a prepared statement that her heart is with those affected by the violence, that she remains committed to working to end gun violence, and that she thanked the sheriff and everyone who responded.
The shooting came just days after another deadly attack in Northern California. On Oct. 30, a gunman opened fire at a Spirit Halloween store in Fairfield, killing a pregnant mother of four and wounding six others. Police announced Monday, Nov. 2, that a 17-year-old suspect was in custody.
Moss Landing is an unincorporated community about 18 miles northeast of Monterey, roughly halfway to Santa Cruz along Highway 1, where Jetty Road branches off just north of the Elkhorn Slough bridge. A woman who lives nearby and declined to give her name said she heard gunshots, women screaming and cars revving that night.
Mark Pastick was heading over the sand dunes to surf at about 8 a.m. Monday when he came upon two bodies lying in Jetty Road and a line of law enforcement officers telling him to back away. He has lived in Moss Landing for 35 years, and he said he had seen no violence like it there.
No arrests had been made as of Tuesday, Nov. 3, and authorities have not named the two students who died.