4 shot dead in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley

A car sits at the scene of a quadruple homicide on Laguna Street near Page Street in San Francisco on Friday. A car sits at the scene of a quadruple homicide on Laguna Street near Page Street in San Francisco on Friday. Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close 4 shot dead in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

Four men were shot and killed Friday night in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley, police said.

The victims were found shot in a black 2005 Honda near the corner of Laguna and Page streets about 10 p.m., police said. The car had been reported stolen, authorities said.

All four men died at the scene, said Officer Albie Esparza, a San Francisco police spokesman. Their names were not immediately released.

Several yellow tarps surrounded the sedan parked on Laguna Street near the curb, pointed toward Market Street, that had its amber lights and taillights on. Yellow evidence markers surrounded the car.

The back window on the driver’s side was shattered, but the windshield and back window were intact.

“We’ve got four victims in a car here,” one of the first officers who arrived at the scene said on the police radio. “We’ve got multiple gunshot wounds here,” another officer reported.

After dispatchers inquired whether it was safe for paramedics to enter the area, an officer responded, “It is clear for them to come in. Get them in here quick, please.”

No arrests have been made in the quadruple homicide. San Francisco police described a possible suspect vehicle as a newer-model silver Scion that could be heading toward Highway 101. California Highway Patrol officers were alerted.

Residents called 911, reporting hearing upward of 15 shots. The gunfire was also captured by ShotSpotter, the city’s gunfire-detection system. Bullets hit at least one parked car.

“We thought it was firecrackers at first, but then we heard the police,” said neighbor Robin Levitt, 62.

On Saturday morning, Victoria Austin, 61, a priest at the nearby San Franciso Zen Center, put up a memorial on a post that said, “1/9/16/ drive-by 4 people rest in peace,” with flowers attached.

“I was awakened by sounds, saw the flashing lights,” she said. “I had hoped violence and the causes of violence in the neighborhood were done. It’s not over. It’s a shock to everyone. It’s painful, and we don’t know much about it.”

Officers cordoned off several blocks with yellow crime scene tape and canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses. Neighbors gathered at the tape, hoping that the four victims were not their loved ones.

“We’re just trying to make sure everybody’s kids are OK,” said a woman who asked to only be identified as Toni. “I just don’t want to get that phone call.”

The killings added to a grim start to the new year in San Francisco, which reported 45 homicides in 2014.

On Wednesday, a man died after being shot near Candlestick Park. Last Sunday evening, two sergeants shot and killed a despondent man who allegedly pointed an airosft gun at them outside the Mission police station.

The slayings Friday night appear to be the most serious mass killing since Binh Thai Luc allegedly used both a sharp-edged weapon and a blunt instrument to kill five people in the city’s Ingleside district in 2012.

Henry K. Lee, Vivian Ho and Hamed Aleaziz are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: hlee@sfchronicle.com, vho@sfchronicle.com and haleaziz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @henryklee, @VivianHo, @haleaziz