‘Help me!’ Screaming children flee deadly shootout at busy California park, video shows

A video shot by a child screaming “help me” shows kids fleeing a shootout in a crowded East Palo Alto park that California police told media outlets killed one person and injured three others.

Ralph Fields Jr., 34, a cousin of NFL player Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, died from his injuries in the gun battle Tuesday, May 17, police told KRON.

Two groups of men fired 33 shots at each other in the 6 p.m. shootout at Jack Farrell Park, sending more than 60 people fleeing in panic, KGO reported.

“This was not a random act,” said East Palo Alto Interim Police Chief Jeff Liu, calling the shooting “targeted,” KTVU reported. No arrests have been made.

Liu called the video of frightened children fleeing the gunfire “absolutely heartbreaking,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“This is a place for these families to go and have good quality outdoor time together in a safe place,” Liu told the publication. “A place where they can play and be carefree — not some place where they need to worry about getting shot by people shooting at each other.”

Police asked anyone with information on the fatal shootout to call Commander Angel Sanchez at 650-853-3154 or email anonymous tips to epa@tipnow.org.

This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 7:41 AM with the headline "‘Help me!’ Screaming children flee deadly shootout at busy California park, video shows."