Nine Shot at Castro Halloween Party

As many as nine people were injured — two seriously - when gunfire erupted in the crowd at the annual Halloween party at Castro Street in San Francisco Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Two people were being questioned early Wednesday in the shooting, though it was not immediately clear if they were suspects or witnesses, said police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens. No arrests had been made, and the motive was unknown, he said.

Police officer heard shots fired around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, as they began dispersing thousands of revelers under a new curfew that was aimed at controlling the traditionally raucous event in the city's gay and lesbian community. They arrived on Market Street, about a block from the main stage, to find victims scattered along about two blocks.

Two people were taken to San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening injuries, including one with a gunshot wound to the head. Five others were found at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries, and at least two more possible victims later were identified.

"We've had a couple of people going into hospitals on their own, and we need to verify whether they were victims of that shooting," Sgt. Neville Gittens said early Wednesday.

The violence was reminiscent of the 2002 Castro Halloween party, when police responded to five stabbings, recorded a number of assaults and confiscated a chain saw among the crowd of nearly 500,000. The once-spontaneous and unsanctioned party was taken over by the city after that event.

Officials and members of the gay community also said the party had begun attracting gay bashers, and many gays and lesbians stopped coming.