Two shootings 31 hours apart along Santa Monica's coast left one man dead and another wounded over the weekend, and police say a juvenile suspect is now in custody in connection with the second incident.

The violence unfolded as new city data show arrests have surged 68.5% year-over-year since the City Council adopted its $60 million Realignment Plan last October.

Saturday: Officer fatally shoots knife-wielding man in Palisades Park

At approximately 12:49 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, officers responding to a domestic violence call in the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue encountered a man unconnected to that call who charged at them with a knife, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. The man ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon and continued advancing.

One officer fired, striking the man. He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead at approximately 1:49 p.m. No officers or bystanders were injured.

The scene played out in front of hundreds of families and tourists near the Pier, ABC7 reported. Witness Caroline Iwanchuk told the station: "I literally came out, and I could see them doing chest compressions. Scary and sad … I don't like to see people getting killed."

Police Chief Darrick Jacob said in a statement released Sunday via the Santa Monica Lookout that the man ignored repeated commands and continued to advance before the officer discharged his firearm.

The man killed was described as being in his mid-40s and homeless. Officers said he was not known to the department and may have been new to the area. His identity is pending release by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.

Sunday: Victim shot in leg during robbery near Pier ramp

About 31 hours later, at approximately 7:49 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, a group of individuals approached a man in his 20s near the Pier ramp and attempted to rob him, Santa Monica Police said on their verified X account. One suspect fired a weapon, striking the victim in the leg. His injuries were described as non-life-threatening.

A police helicopter circled downtown Santa Monica for an extended period that evening, and several intersections were closed during the search.

A juvenile suspect was taken into custody later that evening. KTLA reported Monday, Aug. 24, that detectives are still working to identify and locate the remaining individuals involved.

Arrest numbers climb under Realignment Plan

The weekend's violence comes amid sharply increased police activity citywide. As of the week ending Aug. 1, Santa Monica recorded 3,113 arrests in 2026, up from 1,847 over the same period in 2025. Calls for service rose 7.7% to 76,067, and officer-initiated activity climbed 26.7%.

The City Council unanimously adopted the Realignment Plan on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, committing $60 million in one-time reserves over 24 months. The plan doubled the department's downtown unit, added non-sworn public safety officers in parks and downtown corridors, opened a new downtown substation and launched a $6.125 million real-time crime hub called the SMART Center. The plan also expanded diversion programs, including the SaMo Bridge respite center, as an alternative to jail for minor offenses.

SMPD reached full sworn staffing of roughly 232 officers in early 2026 for the first time in more than two decades.

City officials have cited a 12.5% drop in Part I crime in 2025, from 4,793 to 4,194 incidents, as evidence the strategy is working. But arrests involving people experiencing homelessness rose 52% in 2025 to 2,465, and made up roughly 70% of arrests during at least one week in July 2026.

The beachfront has seen repeated gun violence this summer. In July, a 16-year-old from Las Vegas was arrested in a fatal shooting at a beach parking lot on Pacific Coast Highway. "Violence of any kind has no place in our community," Jacob said in a July 24 statement after that arrest.

Anyone with information about the Pier ramp shooting is urged to contact Det. Carlos Madrid or the SMPD watch commander at 310-458-8427.