Las Vegas teen suspect in Santa Monica Pier shooting turns himself in

A 16-year-old boy from Las Vegas turned himself in after he was identified as the suspected gunman in a shooting near the Santa Monica Pier that left a man dead, authorities said.

At 12:30 a.m. early Monday morning, gunshots rang out in a parking area adjacent to the pier, Parking Lot 1 North, where officers found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the Santa Monica Police Department said in a news release.

The victim was 24-year-old Edgar Buitimea, according to the L.A. County medical examiner.

Hours before the shooting, the pier and surrounding downtown area had been flooded with hundreds of tourists and residents attending watch party events for the World Cup final.

Later that night, the suspect, who was visiting Santa Monica with family, went alone to the pier, where he met up with a group of friends, according to police.

The suspect’s friend group got into a verbal argument with another group of people that then escalated into a physical fight, police said. The suspect, who is not being identified due to his status as a juvenile, is accused of firing multiple shots from a handgun.

First responders attempted to resuscitate Buitimea, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives then identified the suspect, who walked into a Santa Monica Police Department station and surrendered himself Tuesday evening, police said.

He was taken into custody and transferred to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, where he is currently being held. His case will be referred to the L.A. County district attorney’s office for filing consideration.

Under California law, murder charges for 16-year-old suspects must be filed initially in juvenile court; however, prosecutors can then petition a judge to transfer the case to adult court.

“Violence of any kind has no place in our community,” Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob said in a statement. “While nothing can replace the life that was lost, the swift and focused work of our detectives resulted in the suspect being safely taken into custody.”

Jacob said the department’s work was not finished, noting that the pier area is one of the city’s most heavily visited spaces and that the department is committed to keeping it safe for visitors, businesses and residents.

The pier receives an average of 27,000 to 38,000 visitors per day, translating to more than 10 million visitors annually, according to Pacific Park. The popular recreation site has seen several recent violent incidents.

In March, a brawl among people on the pier escalated to a shooting that left two people with non-life-threatening wounds. In January, police arrested a suspect on the pier after they attempted to stab a passerby. And in September 2025, an employee of a restaurant near the pier was stabbed multiple times while sitting on a staircase by the foot of the pier.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Monday’s shooting, and any witnesses or people with information related to the incident are encouraged to contact the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.