Two arrested in library shooting
SAN JOSE >> A man and a teen boy have been arrested in connection with a suspected gang-related shooting and stabbing that occurred inside an East San Jose library, wounding a man and sending staff and patrons scrambling to safety earlier this week, according to police.
The shooting was reported at 3:30 p.m. Monday inside the Hillview Branch library at 1600 Hopkins Drive, next to Clyde L. Fischer Middle School. About 20 people were inside the building at the time — a mix of children, teens and adults, including staff.
Police said one man was wounded and taken to a local hospital. He was expected to survive his injuries.
Early on, police determined that the shooting involved people with gang affiliations or motives. Investigartors announced that they were looking for two people who fled the site, one of them being the suspected gunman.
On Wednesday, gang detectives and other specialized police units served a search warrant at a home on Lyons Drive, about a mile away from the library, police said. They arrested a 20-year-old San Jose man and a 14-year-old boy. They were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail and juvenile hall on suspicion of crimes including attempted murder.
The Hillview library remained closed until further notice Thursday in the wake of the violence. In a statement the day after the attack, the San Jose Public Library said the closure was to make room for the police investigation and so that they can “(support) our employees through this traumatic event.”
The library system also emphasized that no staff or other patrons were injured, and said that “despite the extreme challenge of this situation, library staff provided a swift and appropriate response. In the next days and weeks, the library will focus on engaging with the community, planning for recovery, and repairing the damage resulting from this incident.”
Anyone with information about the Monday shooting can contact Detective Jordan Epperson in the SJPD gang investigations unit at 408-277-3835 or by email at 4554@sanjoseca.gov. Tips can be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at svcrimestoppers.org.