Warrants Issued for Three Teenage Suspects in Hoopa Shooting, Victim Remains in Critical Condition

Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 4:26 pm Lisa Music 2 comments

sheriff in tan and green talking with deputies in green rain gear

Sheriff Honsal with deputies in 2019 [Photo by Mark McKenna]

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal spoke with Redheaded Blackbelt Wednesday afternoon, providing the a detailed account of Tuesday evening’s shooting in Hoopa, and a direct message to a community that has been waiting anxiously for answers.

Despite rumors in the community, the teenage victim, a Hoopa tribal member, is alive. “The victim is still in critical condition at an out-of-area hospital, and we just hope and pray that somehow there’s a miracle that could happen in this situation. But it is quite grave, his condition right now,” Honsal said.

How It Unfolded

The shooting was first reported just after 5 p.m. Tuesday on Little Moon Lane at Highway 96 in Hoopa. According to Honsal, dispatchers began receiving multiple 911 calls almost simultaneously.

“Last night, about five o’clock, we received several 911 calls regarding a shooting that occurred on Little Moon Lane at Highway 96 in Hoopa… as deputies were responding to the area, we received multiple reports of a person that had been shot, and that person had been transported to the local fire station, where he was trying to get medical treatment,” Honsal said.

As previously reported by Redheaded Blackbelt, the victim was transported in a vehicle toward help — a detail Honsal confirmed, noting that the victim was brought to the local fire station where medical treatment was rendered. Hoopa Tribal Police were first on scene.

The picture that emerged from initial witness accounts was alarming. “Initially, we received reports of multiple juveniles with multiple firearms, firing several weapons towards a vehicle where the victim was struck, and then fleeing on foot…Deputies swarmed the area and tried to gather witnesses’ locations and those kind of things,” Honsal said.

What followed was a multi-scene investigation. “Vehicles associated with the incident were found in Tish Tang Campground, and the shooting location was discovered on Little Moon off Highway 96, and then we had our scene where the victim was transported. So these separate scenes were all cordoned off, and our Major Crimes Division was activated,” Honsal said.

A vehicle was also towed from the area as part of the investigation. This is consistent with scanner traffic monitored by this outlet Tuesday night referencing an evidence tow of a car on Tish Tang Road. Honsal confirmed the tow but declined to detail how the vehicle is connected to the case.

Three Warrants, Five People of Interest

After more than 23 hours of continuous investigative work, the Sheriff’s Office has obtained arrest warrants for three suspects, all teenagers. Two are legal adults; one is a juvenile.

“We spent the last 23 hours identifying the suspects, and currently we do have warrants out for three subjects. I do not want to release the names of the three subjects at this time, but these are all teenagers,” Honsal said.

A list of five names has been circulating within the Hoopa community on social media. Honsal addressed this directly, confirming that five individuals were present at the time of the shooting, but that warrants have only been issued for three.

“At this point in time, we believe there was five initial people that were together when this shooting did occur, and we’ve identified three out of the five that are suspects…At this point in time, we…only have arrest warrants for three,” he said.

Community Tips Pouring In

Honsal credited the Hoopa community with playing a significant role in advancing the investigation, noting that tips, witness statements, and video footage have all been voluntarily provided to investigators.

“We have saturated the Hoopa Valley with lots of patrol deputies today. We are following up on leads — we’ve been getting a lot — which is great. People have been calling our main number because they have real time leads of potential suspects, suspect locations, actual witness statements,” he said.

“We have certain things [that] were captured on video, and those videos have been provided to us. And so we’re really thankful for the Hoopa community for coming together and providing the information that has been key to tracking down and identifying information that [is] beneficial to this case,” Honsal added.

School Safety and Community Reassurance

With schools closed Wednesday and parents deeply concerned about what Thursday might look like, Honsal offered direct reassurance. He confirmed that HCSO has been in communication with school officials and that a heightened law enforcement presence will be established if schools reopen.

“We have been in contact with the schools…They decided to close school for the day, and so likely school will be open tomorrow. We will have extra deputies that will be on patrol in and around the schools all day. And so we want to just give assurance that there is going to be a heightened presence in the valley and at the school,” he said.

On the question of whether the previous threats made at Hoopa High School last week are connected to Tuesday’s shooting, Honsal said those threads are still being investigated. The Hoopa Valley Tribe stated earlier Wednesday that they believe the prior threats and the shooting are unrelated, though that has not been officially confirmed.

Honsal was candid about the limits of what law enforcement can promise. “We can’t guarantee anyone’s safety. We [can] guarantee that once we have all three suspects in custody, that we will do our part to try and hold them in custody… and provide the evidence to support those crimes to the District Attorney’s office,” he said.

“We’re Not Resting”

When asked what he wanted the Hoopa community to know, Honsal did not hesitate.

“Of course, this is the top priority. We put everything we possibly could on it last night. We have special enforcement teams up there right now, actively looking for our suspects…We are not slowing down. Our detectives have been working this case again for 23 hours…We’re not resting until we have these guys in custody,” he said.

Honsal also noted that he has been in direct contact with Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Joe Davis. “We also have made a communication with tribal police and the tribal council… regarding safety, security on tribal land, and what can be done and how we can work together to ensure the safety of the citizens of Hoopa,” he said.

Community Resources and Reward

As reported earlier by Redheaded Blackbelt, the Hoopa Valley Tribe has mobilized a broad network of support services for community members. K’ima:w Medical Center deployed its mobile medical unit to the Hoopa Humboldt County Library parking lot Wednesday, Hoopa Human Services remained open on campus, and the Tribal Education NDN Center offered dedicated support services throughout the day. A community meeting is scheduled for this evening at 6 p.m. at the Council Chambers, with a virtual option available via Zoom.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe is also offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251, the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip Line at (707) 268-2539, or Hoopa Tribal Police at (530) 625-4202. In an emergency, call 911.

This is a developing story. Suspect names are expected to be released by HCSO later today and this article will be updated when that information becomes available.

Earlier:

Update: