A 36-year-old man was hospitalized after being struck by a stray bullet during an exchange of gunfire between occupants of two vehicles in East Oakland on Thursday evening. The incident occurred at approximately 5 p.m. at the intersection of 16th Avenue and East 12th Street, near an overpass above Interstate 880.
The victim, an Oakland resident, sustained a neck injury and remains hospitalized. His current condition has not been disclosed. According to the victim’s account to the police, he was driving westbound on East 12th Street and had stopped at the intersection when he was shot. Despite his injury, he managed to drive to a nearby parking lot, where authorities were alerted.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the occupants of two southbound vehicles on 16th Avenue were engaged in a gunfight, resulting in the 36-year-old man being struck by a stray bullet. The two vehicles continued across the overpass and were last seen on Embarcadero. No injuries have been reported among the occupants of the vehicles involved.
The incident triggered a gunshot detection system, and law enforcement recovered several shell casings in the vicinity. Detailed descriptions of the suspects and their vehicles have not been released to the public. As a precautionary measure, Interstate 880 was temporarily closed in the area to facilitate evidence collection and ensure the absence of additional victims.
The Oakland Police Department and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are jointly offering a reward of up to $5,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the shooters. Individuals with relevant information are urged to contact the police at 510-238-3426 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.