Child hurt in freeway shooting that shut eastbound I-580 in Oakland
OAKLAND -- Traffic on eastbound Interstate Highway 580 in Oakland was shut down Friday night after gunmen in two vehicles were reported shooting at each other, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The shooting was reported at 6:23 p.m. near Grand Avenue, CHP spokesman Andrew Barclay said.
In the middle of the chaos, a car that wasn't involved in the gun battle was hit and an 8-year-old boy sitting inside was wounded.
The shooting closed down a stretch of I-580 for hours as police found bullet casings and placed evidence markers.
All lanes on eastbound Interstate Highway 580 in Oakland reopened about 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
The CHP described the two suspect cars as a dark gray SUV and a maroon SUV. No suspect descriptions were provided.
Anyone with information is asked to call the CHP Investigations Tip line at (707) 917-4491.
According to a CHP spokesman, the suspect vehicles escaped via city streets possibly exiting the freeway at Park Boulevard.
CHP said after the boy was hit, the child's mother drove her son to the Highland Hospital before he was later transported to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland. The boy's condition was not known Friday night.
CHP Lieutenant Slade Durham was visibly moved by the violence at a Friday-night press conference.
"Another senseless tragedy that happens on our freeways ... We had two vehicles that chose to utilize our freeway systems as a rolling gun battle," he said. "Anyone can relate that has children when a child is struck by gunfire or a violent crime occurs. It touches you."
"It's terrible. We've been dealing with shootings, robberies, car break-ins -- I mean, it's endless you know? It's another kid. It's ridiculous. Things are beyond out of hand," said Oakland resident Drew Vanzee who lives next to the freeway overpass and saw the emergency response.
This was the second freeway shooting in the Bay Area Friday. A driver was injured earlier in the afternoon on Interstate 280 in San Francisco. That shooting occurred at around 1 p.m. along southbound I-280 at Alemany Boulevard.
The shooting also marks the third this week involving a child. On Wednesday afternoon, a stray bullet hit an 8-year-old boy in a passing car on Martin Luther King Blvd. Later that night, a 13-year-old girl was hit by a stray bullet on MacArthur Blvd. Both victims were treated and released.
