Police in Berkeley investigated two separate gunfire reports in the city late late week, authorities have announced.
Police ask anyone with information to call BPD’s Homicide Unit at 510-981-5741
No one was harmed in either shooting, police said, but the reports continue a troubling trend. Berkeley has had 13 confirmed gunfire calls already this year. Last year at this time there had been just six. Shootings have been on the rise in Berkeley since 2018.
One of last week’s shootings stemmed from an interpersonal dispute, according to BPD, and the other took place when a man chased after the getaway car of someone who had just stolen items from his home.
On Thursday just after 10 a.m., a man in his 20s was standing outside his tent on Durant Avenue, just east of Milvia Street in downtown Berkeley, when three people in a silver sedan pulled up to confront him, police said. One of the assailants pointed a gun at the man as the other occupants from the vehicle approached him.
BPD said the man was able to run from the group but, as he did, the armed man tried to shoot him. The shooter missed and the trio left the area, BPD said. The shooting followed an earlier disturbance at the encampment that same day, which officers had responded to, BPD said. The morning incident had resolved before police arrived and, at that time, people at the camp said they did not need any additional help, police said.
Chase, shooting after theft at Oakland home
Less than 24 hours later, just after 1:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to the 1800 block of 63rd Street, near Martin Luther King Jr. Way in South Berkeley, on a report of gunfire, BPD said.
Police learned that the shooting happened after a local resident tried to follow a thief or thieves who had just taken something from his Oakland home. After the theft, the man got into his own vehicle and followed the getaway car, police said. When the drivers got to Adeline and Alcatraz avenues, police said, someone from the getaway car shot at the resident.
The man pulled over and the driver of the getaway car, which was described as a green sedan, was last seen speeding south on Adeline, police said.
There have been no arrests in either case. Police ask anyone with information about these shootings to call BPD’s Homicide Unit at 510-981-5741.
Other gunfire in Berkeley in 2021
Berkeley has had at least 11 other confirmed gunfire calls in 2021, which appears to be twice as many as there had been by this time last year.
On Jan. 2, a Berkeley police officer shot a man, who was wounded in the jaw but survived, after an alleged robbery at Walgreens in downtown Berkeley; on Feb. 14 just after 6:45 p.m., police responded to a negligent discharge report at a home in the 1900 block of Oxford Street and found damage to the residence; on Feb. 19 just after 1:10 a.m., there was gunfire in the 2500 block of Dana Street and police found casings at the scene; on Feb. 28 at midnight, someone shot at an inhabited dwelling in the 1200 block of Allston Way and damaged the building.
On March 4, police found casings in the 3200 block of Sacramento Street (charges have been filed); on March 9, there was gunfire resulting from a domestic dispute at California and Prince streets (charges have been filed); on March 22, there was gunfire in southwest Berkeley linked to a stalking case (charges have been filed).
On April 19 at 1 a.m., police responded to the 1200 block of Ashby Avenue, near San Pablo Avenue, on a report of gunfire. Officers searched the area and found several bullet casings on the ground. Police said there were no reported injuries. On April 22 at 11:30 p.m., there was a report of gunfire at Fairview and Harper streets; police later found damage to a building on Fairview as well as a vehicle parked nearby.
On May 1 just after 12:20 p.m., police investigated gunfire at University Avenue and West Frontage Road. A witness to the shooting told Berkeleyside that a man from outside the camp shot at a car going north as it passed the camp; BPD has not confirmed this information.
Earlier that same day, just before 12:45 a.m., police were called to investigate gunfire at San Pablo Park. A passer-by later found casings near Mabel and Russell streets on the south side of the park.
