German Tourist Killed in SF Crossfire
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is condemning two separate shootings near Union Square overnight that left a German tourist dead and four other people injured.
The first shooting happened at about 9 p.m. in the 400 block of Mason Street. When officers arrived, they found a large crowd in the area and three people who had been shot, police said.
Mechthild Schroeer, a 50-year-old resident of Minden, Germany, died from her injuries. She was walking back to her hotel with her husband who was not injured. Schroeer was a teacher.
A 15-year-old boy and a 19-year-old woman were also hit. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment and are expected to survive.
Witnesses provided officers with descriptions of the shooters and police have detained five suspects. They have also recovered a gun.
San Francisco police Sgt. Troy Dangerfield said the shooting appears to have begun as an altercation in the area. The victims are not believed to have been the intended targets and appear to have been caught in the crossfire, he said.
The second shooting happened about 1:55 a.m. today in front of 1015 Folsom, a club located at Folsom and Harriet streets, police said.
Two women were shot in their torsos and taken to a local hospital. Updates on theirconditions were not immediately available.
"On behalf of our entire city, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mechthild Schroeer, who died needlessly from this senseless violence, and to those who were injured in these disturbing incidents," Newsom said in a prepared statement that was released this afternoon.
He urged anyone with information to call police and commended witnesses who helped investigators identify the suspects.
Newsom also signed legislation today that strengthens the Entertainment Commission's ability to permanently revoke permits of problem clubs in the city.
The new legislation, which was passed by the Board of Supervisors last week, was in response to recent incidents at Jelly's Dance Cafe in Mission Bay, El Rincon in the Mission and Suede in North Beach, Newsom said.
He said the city would work to prevent future violence at clubs and hold club owners and promoters accountable.
Bay City News
