Bay Area authorities are investigating a recent school shooting in Oakland, California, that left 6 people injured.
The situation unfolded on Wednesday afternoon at an Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) building that contains numerous schools: Rudsdale Continuation, Rudsdale Newcomer High School and Bay Area Technology School (aka BayTech Charter School).
We should also note that the facility in question is also the headquarters of the Sojourner Truth Independent Study online program, though no students were at that particular site, according to the Daily Mail.
At around 1 p.m., students and employees heard a barrage of shots being fired nearby.
“We were in our class just doing our work and then we heard, like, six gunshots, seven gunshots coming from the other school, Rudsdale,” one BayTech student recalled, according to CBS Bay Area (KPIX). “I was panicking.”
“I went to the window, and I saw the bullets going everywhere. I was like, ‘Is this some kind of, is someone playing?'” a school employee only identified as “Henry” added, the outlet reports. “I saw my co-workers running away and I saw this guy getting up and he was bleeding. I was like, ‘Oh my God. This is not a game. This is real.'”
All in all, a total of 6 adults sustained injuries, and NBC News notes that the victims had “some affiliation” with Rudsdale.
Libby Schaaf, Oakland’s mayor, addressed the incident on Twitter, confirming some of the details and noting that none of the injured adults were killed.
Today’s gun violence at Sojourner Truth school shocks the soul — our schools are sanctuaries for our children. Our investigators report all six victims are adults + being treated for injuries at hospitals now. The school is now clear + all children being reunited w/ families.
— Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) September 28, 2022
According to NPR, the six injured victims include two students, a counselor, a security guard, and two other campus employees. As of Friday, three victims have been released from local hospitals.
We should also add that, according to KPIX reporter Katie Nielsen, witnesses believe that 3 shooters were involved.
UPDATE – Witnesses tell investigators a car with 3 gunman pulled up, got out, opened fire, & left.
Total of 6 injured – 1 with critical injuries. Students are being taken to a reunification area near Mountain Blvd & Fontaine St, which looks like Points of Light Church. @KPIXtv— Katie Nielsen (@KatieKPIX) September 28, 2022
Neilsen also tweeted that a “police source” believes that the shooting may have been a “targeted” incident.
UPDATE – A police source tells me they believe this was possibly a targeted shooting at the school – student might have been the target. The 3 victims taken to Highland are 18, 19, & 58 years old. 2 of the 3 at Highland are in critical condition. @KPIXtv
— Katie Nielsen (@KatieKPIX) September 28, 2022
No suspects have been taken into custody yet. But according to NPR, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong has revealed that authorities do believe the shooting is “gang-related.”
“We believe that this is related to ongoing conflicts in our city that have driven violence throughout our city and we’ll continue to follow up on leads to identify those responsible,” he said.
“We also know that there were over 30 rounds fired on this campus,” he continued. “That is wholly unacceptable. We thank God that many more students were not injured as a result of this action.”
Notably, San Francisco-based agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are also looking into the matter, according to KPIX.