Detectives are searching for answers and asking witnesses to come forward after a deadly mass shooting at a pop-up birthday party near Morgan Hill left one person dead and six others injured over the weekend. Family members identified the person killed as Desi Romero, known to loved ones as “Pe pper.” An online fundraiser created to help pay for funeral expenses described Romero as a cherished son, brother, grandson, cousin and friend who had a way of bringing joy to everyone around him. “Pepper was taken from us far too soon, and our hearts are shattered,” the family wrote in the fundraiser. His grandfather noted that Romero once played for Evergreen Little League. In a statement, an acquaintance from his Little League days remembered him fondly. “He was a pleasure to watch on the field… and was always one of the most talented players — if not the most talented player — on the field,” the statement read. The unsanctioned Saturday night party was hosted by a Bay Area streamer in a field in an unincorporated area near Morgan Hill. Investigators estimate about 300 people attended the event. “This was sort of a pop-up party that was advertised on social media,” said Brooks Jarosz of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. “The location of that party was not given out until hours before the event occurred.” One woman who attended the party told NBC Bay Area there was security present and that men were being patted down before entering. However, she said one man somehow got past security with a handgun. “The guy who had the gun snuck in,” the woman said. “I don’t know how he did. Everyone saw that he had a gun, and then he got mad.” What was supposed to be a birthday celebration quickly ended in tragedy when gunfire erupted. Along with Romero’s death, six others suffered gunshot wounds. “For some it was the stomach, one in the ankle, one in the shoulder,” Jarosz said. “I can report now that four of the six who were injured are still in the hospital.” The sheriff’s office confirmed the shooter used a handgun, but investigators have not yet said whether they believe the shooting was targeted or if there is any gang connection. While investigators have already interviewed more than a dozen people, they are urging many more to come forward to help piece together what led up to the violence. “We want to talk to more so we can see if all of those stories match up and get a clear understanding of what happened,” Jarosz said. Authorities are asking anyone who attended the party, or who has photos or video from that night, to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. ...read more read less