California Prison Riot Leaves 13 Injured, Including One Shot

At least 13 inmates have been injured in a riot at New Folsom Prison in Folsom, Calif., Wednesday, authorities said.

More than 60 prisoners were involved, and one was shot with a guard’s rifle, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

According to Reuters, the riot broke out at 11:17 a.m. PDT. Several inmates were stabbed with homemade weapons and rushed to the hospital. In the ensuing chaos, a corrections officer opened fire and shot an inmate.

The Sacramento Bee reports that officers attempted to subdue the inmates with non-lethal weapons first, including "blast dispersion rounds.” When that failed, the officers used their Mini 14 riles. Six shots were fired, and one hit an inmate.

While a spokeswoman from the California Department of Corrections would not say what sparked the riot, she stated that the situation was “under control.”

No prison staff were injured in the riot, she said. The Sacramento Bee reports the wounded inmates suffered multiple stab wounds and head trauma.

New Folsom, also known as California State Prison, Sacramento, currently holds around 2,600 prisoners, roughly 128 percent of its intended capacity of 2,031. The Sacramento Bee reports that most inmates are serving long sentences” or “had behavior issues at other institutions.”

The prison is known as New Folsom Prison because it is directly adjacent to Folsom State Prison, which was popularized in Johnny Cash’s famous 1968 concert there.