Riverside softball game interrupted by nearby gunfire

Softball players and their coaches ran for cover during a Friday night game after someone started shooting a rifle near their Riverside field. 

Fortunately, no one was wounded, but the situation left parents holding their breath and worried about their children's safety. 

"You know, grandmas and grandpas and mothers and dads fearing for their kids' lives," parent Roxana Portillo said. "We're having fun, kids are having fun. This is what it's supposed to be, kids having fun — not expecting something like that will happen." 

Portillo's two daughters and their softball team were in the middle of a play at La Sierra Park when the gunfire started. At first, she thought loud pops were fireworks.

"I stood up because we were sitting down watching," Portillo said. "The girls stood up. I asked my husband and he was like 'No, those are not fireworks."

The Riverside Police Department said someone shot a high-caliber rifle near not only the softball field but also a crowded playground. 

"It's one thing to shoot at somebody for whatever reason, but you're doing it with the backdrop of a park," Officer Ryan Railsback said. 

Police said they did not immediately find the gunman, but detectives recovered shell casings at the scene. They are investigating a parking lot car meet-up, which parents called the police about before the shooting started. 

Organizers moved the game to a different park tonight because of safety concerns. 

"The game that they love," Portillo said. " I want to make sure my girls are safe."