Before 2 a.m. Monday, Nathaniel Flores was 13 years old and Marco Antonio Perez was 15, two students in the Salinas Union High School District with futures stretching ahead of them. By sunrise, both were dead on the sand near Moss Landing State Beach, the victims of a shooting that also wounded two other people and scattered red drinking cups, a cooler, and evidence markers across Jetty Road, KGO reported.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office identified the boys Tuesday as Flores and Perez, both from Salinas. The gunfire erupted just off Highway 1 near the popular state beach, which closes at sunset—meaning the four people were gathered there after hours, Chief Park Ranger Mike Dippel with California State Parks said during a Monday briefing. The two injured victims have not been publicly identified, and as of Tuesday evening, no arrests had been made.
A Community Reeling at a Beach That Should Have Been Empty
The timing cuts deep. People aboard boats docked at Moss Landing told The Salinas Californian they heard gunshots and shouting early Monday morning, including male and female voices echoing across the water.
Salinas Union High School District Superintendent Zandra Jo Galvan addressed the loss in a statement Monday night, her words carrying the weight of a district now counseling grieving students.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share that members of our district student community were among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident that occurred early Monday morning in Moss Landing. Our hearts are with the student’s family, friends, classmates, and all those whose lives have been touched by this devastating loss. We extend our deepest condolences to the families as they navigate an unimaginable time of grief.”
The district announced that counseling and emotional support staff would be available at every school site, encouraging families to reach out if additional support is needed. Galvan also asked the community to respect the families’ privacy and refrain from speculating about what happened.
What Investigators Know—and What Remains Hidden
Detectives from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside California State Parks officials and California Highway Patrol officers, spent hours Monday combing the beach for evidence. The Salinas Californian reported that a third individual was located at the scene and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while a fourth person showed up at a hospital on their own suffering from gunshot wounds.
Few details have emerged about what sparked the shooting. Investigators have not said what led to the violence or publicly classified the deaths. Rangers said they plan to increase patrols in the area as the investigation continues.
For Nathaniel Flores’s family, the loss arrived just days before what would have been his 14th birthday this Friday. Steinbeck Tigers Youth Football & Cheer, where Flores played on the Midgets football team, created a GoFundMe to help with funeral and memorial expenses, writing that his “unexpected passing has left his family, teammates, coaches, and our entire Steinbeck community heartbroken.”
A 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy from Salinas have been identified as the two people who were killed in a shooting at Moss Landing State Beach, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office says. For more information, click the link below. https://t.co/U9ktfWFqF4 pic.twitter.com/A2A3YcNbW9
The Investigation Moves Forward
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Monterey County Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Nick Kennedy at 831-755-3773 or Detective Richard Geng at 831-759-7279. Tips can be provided anonymously.
The beach that should have been empty at 2 a.m. became the site of a Monterey County shooting early Monday morning, killing two boys from Salinas and leaving their families to plan funerals.
More on Moss Landing State Beach
Breaking News Two teenage boys, ages 13 and 15, identified as victims of horror shooting on California beach that left two more injured Two teenage boys aged 13 and 15 years old have been identified as the victims in a horror shooting on a California beach that left two others… pic.twitter.com/tzyeVsBmEf
Two people were killed and two injured in a shooting near the end of Jetty Road at California’s Moss Landing State Beach. Authorities report no active threat to the community, but no arrests have been announced. Both people who died were found at the scene with gunshot wounds.… pic.twitter.com/oC2X3gwhV0
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