Separate Shootings at Massive East Oakland Sideshow Leave 1 Dead, 2 Injured
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Police said a violent sideshow in East Oakland on early Saturday morning resulted separate shootings that killed one man and injured two others.
Oakland police said residents reported multiple sideshow locations between 11 p.m. Friday and 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning.
Police said the most violent sideshow happened near High Street, at the 42nd Avenue freeway onramp to Northbound I-880 around 2:30 a.m. The location is known by many as "The Pit."
A cellphone video posted on Instagram showed multiple people shooting their guns. One video showed a man lying on the ground. Some people checked on him, but he was non-responsive after someone shot him.
Police said it appeared the man was left on the ground and was later run over by at least one car. Investigators said the 24-year-old Oakland man died.
Authorities have not released the victims name. No arrests have been made and it is unclear what motivated the killing.
Police said that was one of several shootings that took place at that sideshow. They said two other people were shot and injured. Investigators said the victims were not related and were shot during different times of the sideshow.
Cell phone videos also appeared to show people with guns robbing spectators.
Police said about 500 to 600 cars were at the sideshow with more than 1,000 spectators.
In light of the homicide and intelligence gathered by investigators from social media suggesting there will be more sideshows this weekend in Oakland, the police department called in extra officers to work Saturday and Sunday night. Oakland police said it was mandatory overtime since they didn't have enough officers.
"You could hear the gunshots. It's just bad. It's really bad," said neighbor Anna Tostado.
The sideshow woke her up. The Pit has been a frequent sideshow location for years.
"Folks are focused on March Madness, the basketball tournament. We have a different kind of madness that's happening right now," said Oakland Councilman Loren Taylor.
The large roving sideshow made its way Taylor's district Saturday morning as well.
"When we've got 600 cars participating in a sideshow, and only four to six impounds, there are opportunities to hold more of the vehicles that are participating accountable than we have been in the past," said Taylor.
Tostado said things have never been this bad in Oakland in her 35 years of living here.
"My daughter moved to Lathrop. And we plan to move, too," said Tostado.
The Oakland Police Department continued to deal with a severe staffing shortage. As of Sunday, the department said it had 665 sworn officers. And five to eight officers leave the department every month.
