Santa Rosa Man Discharges Gun In Parking Lot, Forcing Evacuations

SANTA ROSA, CA — Santa Rosa police said a 62-year-old man was arrested Saturday afternoon after having discharged a firearm near a parking lot at Sebastopol Road and Roberts Avenue, officers said.

Karl Walburg of Santa Rosa was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of being a felon possessing a firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm, brandishing a firearm and vandalism after police had to search neighborhoods along Sebastopol Road near the SMART train-Northwestern Pacific railroad crossing, police said.

Police were called at 2:21 p.m. Saturday to the 100 block of Sebastopol Road on a report of a man had taken a firearm out of his car walking onto the parking lot of a business at Sebastopol and Robert Avenue.

Several workers at nearby businesses were evacuated, drones were used by both police and the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, and the Santa Rosa PD SWAT team, plus a Sheriff's helicopter crew, all helped with the search. Traffic was rerouted off of Sebastopol Road during the search, and SMART trains were stopped briefly as the search went on, police said.

Walburg was eventually located and surrendered peacefully, police said.

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