An East Oakland neighborhood erupted into gunfire early Saturday morning amid an hour-long show, and neighbors say police were nowhere to be found. Residents expressed fear that the next time, stray gunfire might enter an area home and hurt someone.
An East Oakland neighborhood erupted into gunfire early Saturday morning amid an hour-long sideshow, and neighbors say police were nowhere to be found. Residents expressed fear that the next time, stray gunfire might enter an area and hurt someone.
"I just heard gunshots, like gunshots coming from all directions, people trying to hide. They just fire up in the air and you don’t know where it’s going to land," said a neighbor who asked not to be identified. The resident was among several neighbors, who told KTVU that sideshows, like Saturday's, were fairly common outside their homes at 98th Avenue and Empire Boulevard, not far from the crime-plagued Hegenberger corridor. "Like a whole hour. No police. I didn’t hear no sirens at all…Some people were on top of that house's roof. There were fireworks included. There were blue lasers, green lasers," said a neighbor.The sideshow follows a series of recent town halls across Oakland attended by Mayor Sheng Thao and Police Chief Floyd Mitchell. Both pledged during an Aug. 26 meeting to better target sideshows and other crimes through the use of new technology, including drones and cameras and with the help of the California Highway Patrol. "We know that we don’t have enough police officers. We can’t afford it, but that doesn’t mean that we use that as an excuse or reason not to be sure that people feel safe," said Thao at the town hall in the city's Montclair neighborhood. "We’re working hard to try to curb this activity. We have a sideshow detail that goes out every Friday and Saturday," said Mitchell. Mitchell added that part of that effort included looking at ways to redesign intersections. Those who live at 98th and Empire Boulevard said they were still waiting to see the promises made by city leaders kept. "I’ve been here my whole life, and it has changed, it has changed so much, and it’s frustrating because it seems like they don’t care," said a neighbor. KTVU reached out to Oakland police and Thao's office for a response to the fears and frustrations about area crime expressed by residents in the neighborhood but did not hear back in time for this report.
Sideshows News Crime Publicsafety Crime Us Ca Alameda County Oakland
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oakland Roots sign one-year deal to move into Coliseum after A's move outThe Oakland Roots professional soccer team is putting down deeper roots in Oakland next year.
Read more »
17-year-old gunned down in East Oakland during argument, mom saysWednesday was the first day of school at Berkeley Technology Academy, but the excitement was tempered by the recent death of a popular student.
Read more »
Gunfire in East Bay leaves Antioch police with 10th homicide investigation of 2024Police responded to East 8th Street about 7:25 a.m.
Read more »
Man standing on Oakland street killed by gunfireThe man was in the 9000 block of MacArthur Avenue when he was hit by the gunfire, police said.
Read more »
Oakland minors missing for several weeksTwo Oakland minors have been missing for several weeks now out of Oakland, police shared.
Read more »
East Bay shooting victim dies days after Labor Day gunfireThe gunfire happened in the area of Peppertree Way and Sycamore Drive, police said.
Read more »