After six individuals were injured in a shooting yesterday outside a California school that assists recent immigrants who have fled violence in their home countries, police are looking for a fugitive shooter.
According to the officials, the event happened at Rudsdale Newcomer High School in East Oakland at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, and at least some of the victims were discovered there.
It is known that two of them had serious injuries. Officials have not indicated if any of the casualties may be 18-year-old or older pupils.
Oakland Assistant Police Chief Darren Allison said that “the victims were linked with the school, and we are establishing the relationship at this time,” but he would not specify if any students or instructors were involved.
According to the school’s website, it helps recent immigrants between the ages of 16 and 21 who have left violence and instability in their native countries. On a block in east Oakland, it is one of four nearby schools.
According to Allison, police did not have any suspects in custody but were looking for at least one.
The incident took place at a structure on Fontaine Street, close to Bay Area Technology School and Sojourner Truth Independent Study, among other educational institutions.
Three people have been transported to Oakland’s Highland Hospital. Two people who had been shot were in a critical but stable condition. The other one was solid.
Ages of the three victims range from 58 to 18 to 19. Three further patients were taken by ambulance to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, where one received treatment and was later discharged, another is awaiting release, and a third is in stable condition.
All of the casualties, according to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, were adults.
Despite the fact that there might be additional suspects, police are only hunting for one.
A mother informed KTVU that she saw five possible shooters. Police said that no one is presently being held in custody.
When the police came on the scene, a student can be heard informing them there were seven bullets, according to cellphone footage taken inside the school at the time.
A campus security officer at Bay Area Technology School was hurt in the incident but not badly, according to an Instagram post that school officials published.
A gunshot brushed Jason Arbuckle’s skull, the Oakland Unified carpenter said, leaving some bits behind. When the gunfire started, he and a team were hanging a trophy display case, according to their account.
Another casualty was mentioned by other parents as rushing to aid after bullets were fired.
They added, “Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of the six people who were wounded following a shooting that occurred near our campus this afternoon.”
They continued by commending their personnel for “stepping into action” and initiating lockdown procedures as soon as they became aware of an active shooter on campus.
We also want to express our gratitude to all of our pupils for the outstanding job they did handling the safety procedures. They are the best! Please give them a bear hug for us.
All of the students at Rudsdale Newcomer High School, who are new immigrants who fled violence and insecurity, are reportedly working to support themselves and their families while still seeking a high school certificate.
According to the school’s website, “Our children have suffered a lot of stress due to their migratory experiences.”
Authorities said that the issue is no longer a concern. The suspect, according to the police, has left the vicinity of the school.
Deputies were summoned to assist Oakland Police at the facility yesterday afternoon, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
However, the kids—who range in age from kindergarten age to as old as 18—were then taken out of their buildings.
According to Treva Reid, a councilwoman running for mayor of Oakland, the shooting may have been related to an increase in “group and gang violence.”
Reid went on to add that the shooting is evidence that the city has not made enough investments in projects and programs that would help kids achieve.
Children are taking issues into their own hands because we no longer invest in them, Reid said.
“They’re using unhealthy methods to settle disputes, and that’s what we’re witnessing now,”
Despite all the hoopla surrounding school finance, according to community organizer Nina Carter, nothing will change if Oakland children are unable to connect with people in positions of authority.
‘You have to have these kids at these campuses and schools’ (can relate to). There cannot be just anybody handling the trauma that these children experience. You have to start there, says Carter.
Carter is a member of a squad called Violence Interrupters that resolves disputes between gangs and organizations.
The shootings take place the day after LeRonne Armstrong, the police chief of Oakland, announced fresh initiatives to combat gun violence.
Just after noon, a lady reported to the local news station CBS Bay Area hearing gunshots coming from the buildings.
When they learned that the schools where their kids attended were under lockdown, other shocked parents shared their fear. After hearing the gunfire, one mother stated, “I was fearing the worst.”
‘There was an incident today at the King Estate campus on Fontaine Street, which houses the co-located Rudsdale Continuation and Newcomer high schools, BayTech Charter School, and the headquarters of Sojourner Truth Independent Study, which has no students at the site,’ the Oakland Unified School District said in a statement.
Although Oakland Academy of Knowledge (OAK) is close to the campus, it’s vital to stress that neither the event nor anything related to OAK occurred there.
Beyond what Oakland Police are stating, we presently do not have any other information.
Counselors are accessible for pupils, according to John Sasaki, a spokeswoman for Oakland Unified School District.
Television images showed students fleeing surrounding schools as well as a large number of police vehicles and yellow tape blocking the roadway outside the institution.
Alameda Health System CEO James Jackson also reported a rise in violent crime.
“The number of victims of violent crimes that we are witnessing here at our hospital has practically doubled” (Highland Hospital). There has thus been a shift,’ Jackson added.
As he stood outside the school, City Council Member Loren Taylor told KTVU-TV, “Guns were on our school grounds where our infants were supposed to be safeguarded,” while declining to provide any specifics about the event.