2 teens arrested after shots fired near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, police say

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KGO) -- A shooting near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on Monday night raised safety concerns for visitors, though no injuries were reported and two teenagers were arrested hours later, police said.

The gunfire erupted in a parking lot across the street from the boardwalk shortly after 9 p.m. Monday, sending visitors running as shots were fired near the popular summer destination.

"Yeah, I was shocked. I was kind of glad that we weren't here last night," Adrian Blanco said.

MORE: 2 teens arrested in deadly SF shooting of 15-year-old girl as school holds memorial in her honor

Another visitor, Randy Stoker, said: "I think it's a spot for kids to hang out and have a good time, not get into a fight. But to hear about a shooting is kind of scary to me."

According to police, two groups got into an argument before a fight broke out. Investigators said one person pulled out a handgun and fired multiple times at the other group.

Every law enforcement agency in Santa Cruz County responded to the scene, authorities said.

Within six hours of the shooting, police made two arrests in the Central Valley. Both suspects are 17-year-olds from Ceres in Stanislaus County.

Police said one teenager was arrested in connection with the shooting, while the other was arrested for discarding evidence.

"We're grateful that the boardwalk does have, a lot of surveillance video, not necessarily flock cameras or surveillance cameras, but their security system definitely was a huge assistance," Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante said.

The boardwalk resumed normal operations Tuesday with increased security.

MORE: Bay Area teens arrested in Sacramento party shooting that killed Uber passenger

Boardwalk spokesperson Kris Reyes said the attraction typically has more security guards on duty each day than there are Santa Cruz police officers on patrol.

"I'm confident that our guests and the fans of the boardwalk, people that love to come here. I know that this is a safe place and that we take their safety very seriously," Reyes said.

Many visitors returned Tuesday despite the shooting.

"I got teenage boys and I got my little girl with me. We love coming here, but at a place like this that's public, where there's no gates, or they're checking who's carrying what, sadly in this the world we live in right now, we got to expect that. But you just got to be aware of your surroundings," said Adrian Blanco, who was visiting from Folsom.

No injuries were reported in the shooting. Police said the investigation remains ongoing, including efforts to determine what led to the confrontation.

The video above is from a previous report.