At least six people were injured in a shooting at an Oakland, Calif. school on Wednesday, Sept. 28, reports USA TODAY. All six were above 18 years old and affiliated with the Rudsdale Continuation High School of the Oakland Unified School District, per a press conference by the Oakland Police Department held in the hours following the incident. All victims were transported to the Highland Hospital in Oakland or the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley to treat gunshot wounds. Three victims will be released shortly, one has a non-life threatening injury, while two have severe injuries. Some of the victims were found inside the school, although the ODP could not confirm that all who were injured were found inside.
The shooting happened shortly after 1 p.m., the Alameda County sheriff’s spokesperson Lt. Ray Kelly told the Los Angeles Times. According to KPIX’s Katie Nielsen, “witnesses tell investigators a car with three gunman pulled up, got out, opened fire, and left.” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reported that the school is “all clear” and said all unharmed students were being reunited with families.
Today's gun violence at Sojourner Truth school shocks the soul — our schools are sanctuaries for our children. Our investigators report all six victims are adults + being treated for injuries at hospitals now. The school is now clear + all children being reunited w/ families.
— Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) September 28, 2022
The Oakland Police Department said in its press briefing that there are no suspects on the crime scene or in custody. While they could not give a description of a possible suspect, they said they are “absolutely following up on leads” and would continue to update the public as more information becomes available. According to ABC7 News, Lt. Kelly said the shooting was “probably a targeted event.”
I asked Lt. Ray Kelly of Alameda Sheriff's if the public should be worried about gunmen on the loose. He just texted: "If I was a betting person, I'd say this was probably a targeted event"
— Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) September 28, 2022
Oakland City Council Member Loren Taylor refused to confirm any further details to KTVU-TV. “Guns were on our school campuses where our babies were supposed to be protected,” she said while outside the crime scene.
The shooting occurred just one day after Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong revealed a plan to address Oakland’s gun violence problem, which included deploying more officers to certain communities and taking steps to strengthen the city’s criminal investigation unit. “We are confident that these new focuses will bring more officers onto the streets to not only enhance our enforcement efforts on those that continue to drive gun violence, but also for traffic safety,” he said, per the East Bay Times.
This story is currently being updated.