5 shot during pickup basketball game at park

Five people were wounded when a basketball player opened fire during a pickup game at a community park, officials said.

The shootings occurred Friday night after a verbal argument turned physical, and police believe gang ties may have played a role, said Sgt. Tim Curran of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. Two groups of about a dozen people each met about 8 p.m. on the basketball court at Churchill Downs Community Park in South Sacramento, Curran said.

Four men and one woman, all between 19 and 23 years old, were taken to hospitals. Two of the victims were seriously injured, including one man who was shot numerous times in the chest, Curran said. At least one of the victims is a gang member, he said. Authorities were searching for two suspects, both men in their 20s.