Four arrested in connection with downtown Alameda shooting

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Four suspects have been arrested after a shootout Friday afternoon in busy downtown Alameda that narrowly missed injuring bystanders, police said Saturday.

Reports of the shooting came in about noon from the 2300 block of Santa Clara Avenue, less than a block away from Alameda's city hall and police department, and close to the city's Park Street business district.

When officers arrived, they found spent shell casings on the street and sidewalk, the remnants of what appeared to have been a fight that escalated into a shooting, police said.

One of those involved arrived at a nearby hospital with a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg. 

Another injury reported was a bystander who was hit by shrapnel, but the woman's injuries were not life threatening and she declined medical treatment, police said.

In addition, a bullet fired during the shooting hit the car of mother driving by, narrowly missing her 2-year-old child, police said. The bullet ended up lodged in the driver's seat. The mother and child were not injured, police said.

Alameda police worked with Oakland police and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office to investigate the shooting and eventually arrested three juvenile suspects believed to have fired weapons during the incident. Police did not give their ages or where they were arrested.

Firearms, including high-capacity magazines, were recovered during two of the three arrests, but it hasn't been determined if those guns were used in the shootout.