Kids flee as gunshots ring out at bowling alley. One man died, California cops say

Gunfire at a Livermore bowling alley over the weekend sent children and others at birthday parties fleeing in panic, California news reports said.

The gunshots killed Antonio Vargas, 28, on the evening of Saturday, July 16, and injured two others, KRON reported.

“He just went out for a night of bowling,” Jose Vargas told KGO about his son, speaking through a translator. “He just said he was going to go with friends.”

Vargas told the station his son, who came to the United States from Mexico and was part of the Dreamer program, had never been in trouble. He had opened a carpet-cleaning business.

A fight broke out at Granada Bowl in Livermore about 6 p.m., police said in a news release. One of the people involved drew a gun and opened fire, killing Vargas and hitting two others, according to police and media reports.

The two people injured are in stable condition, police told KRON.

People at two birthday parties inside the bowling alley fled when shots rang out, onlookers told KPIX. Some returned the next day for their belongings.

“A bunch of people started running out and all these young adults were running in different directions and I was thinking to myself, what’s going on,” witness Sonya Gividen told KGO.

One of the parties was for an 8-year-old, KTVU reported.

Granada Bowl remained closed Sunday and planned to reopen Monday, July 18, but will have shortened hours, a Facebook post said. The business said it was “deeply saddened” by the violence.

A subsequent post said a bowling program for kids has been put on hold.

On Wednesday, July 20, police arrested Roger Aleman Garcia, 27, of Livermore on a charge of murder, officers reported on Twtiter.

Livermore is a city of 92,000 people about 45 miles east of San Francisco.

This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Kids flee as gunshots ring out at bowling alley. One man died, California cops say."