Gunfire disrupted a joyous Juneteenth celebration at Oakland’s Lake Merritt Saturday evening, killing one person and wounding six others.
Police said the official holiday celebration was taking place across the lake from the shooting, but hundreds of people were on hand at the 155-acre tidal lagoon just east of downtown Oakland, CBS San Francisco reported.
“Tonight a joyous occasion at our Lake Merritt was marred by a senseless act of gun violence,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement. “Police in the area tended to victims, and apprehended two people with firearms near the scene. The investigation is ongoing and will determine if they are connected to the shooting. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims, and I want to thank our officers for a quick response.”
CBS SF said the shooting took place in the middle of Lakeshore Drive. Surveillance footage from across the street shows the crowd begin running after the shooting took place.
The shooting took place just before 6:30 p.m., Oakland police said. A 22-year-old man was pronounced dead at a hospital, they said.
The other victims — four males aged 16 to 27 and a 21-year-old woman — were reported in stable condition Saturday night. The six wounded victim was another woman who transported herself to a local hospital late in the evening, Oakland Police Public Information Officer Johnna Watson said on Sunday. She is also in stable condition.
Investigators are working to determine if the two men they took into custody were connected with the shooting. Both men had guns and were running from the scene, police said.
According to SF Gate, police said the shooting was not related to the Juneteenth celebration opposite the shooting.
Meanwhile, Crime Stoppers of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department offered a reward of up to $40,000 for information, ABC 7 reported.
Police asked anyone with information, video footage or photos to contact OPD’s Homicide Division at (510) 238-3821.
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[Featured image: Screenshot from CBS SF video]
