Promoters Of Oakland Party Where 9 Were Shot Didn't Get Permit
OAKLAND (BCN) -- Organizers of a Halloween party in Oakland where nine people were shot early Sunday morning failed to obtain a necessary special events permit from Oakland police, a police spokesman said Monday.
About 600 people attended the party, which was promoted as a "Fright Fest" for college-age youths, Officer Jeff Thomason said.
Thomason said the event's promoters should have applied for a special events permit but didn't—even though fliers for the event said, "OPD in full effect."
He said the promoters, whom he declined to name, might not have applied for a permit because they would have had to pay for officers to guard the event and wanted to save money.
Oakland police will likely charge the promoters for the cost of responding to the shooting, he said.
The shooting occurred at Sweet's Ballroom at 1933 Broadway and was reported at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
Thomason said the preliminary suspect in the shooting is still at large and is described as a black man between the ages of 20 and 30. He is six feet tall and has a light complexion.
The motive for the shooting was unknown on Monday, Thomason said.
He said there have been other violent incidents at Sweet's Ballroom in the past involving promoters who didn't have adequate security.
Sweet's Ballroom officials couldn't be reached for contact because their phone has been disconnected.
The party's promoters haven't returned a phone call seeking comment on the incident.
According to the Sweet's website, the ballroom was built by Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Hassler in 1923 and was operated between 1924 and 1932 by William Sweet, who was an agriculture professor at the University of California at Berkeley but gave up his job to run the ballroom.
The website said that during the big band era, four ballrooms at the facility hosted performers such as Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday.
In their flier for the party, promoters said, "We are bringing the biggest Halloween college party to the bay!" and, "Calling all city colleges, Cal States, UC's."
The announcement said there would be two dance floors, room for 800-plus people, a 10,000-watt sound system, full decorations, a Halloween-theme venue and prizes for the sexiest and most creative costumes.
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