A male teenager was shot just north of Grove Park in South Berkeley just before 12:40 p.m. Thursday, according to preliminary reports from police.
Note: BUSD also released a statement about the shooting; it appears in full at the bottom of the story
Police responded to Oregon Street just west of Martin Luther King Jr. Way to conduct their investigation.
Multiple rounds were fired, wounding a teenage boy outside an apartment building in the 1800 block of Oregon Street, authorities and community members said. According to some reports to BPD, an assault rifle may have been used, but that has not been confirmed. As of 2:20 p.m., the teenager was in stable condition. No arrests had been made.
One local resident told Berkeleyside she heard a vehicle pull up outside and stop quickly, followed by “seven rapid-fire gunshots.”
“It was absolutely clear to me that it was gunfire, so I called 911,” said the woman, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Police got there very, very quickly.”
First-responders said, in emergency dispatches reviewed by Berkeleyside, that the boy had been struck in the hand and thigh. Police applied tourniquets while clearing the scene for the Berkeley Fire Department. The teenager was taken to Highland Hospital for treatment.
As of 2:25 p.m., officers were clearing the scene, said Officer Byron White, BPD spokesperson.
Berkeley has had five other shootings already this year, one of which left an 18-year-old man wounded in the leg.
Prior to Thursday, Berkeley’s last shooting took place Feb. 10 during a robbery at 11:59 p.m. at Claremont Avenue and The Uplands. That night, BPD said, a pedestrian was “ambushed by a suspect armed with a gun” who demanded his property. The gunman fired a shot into the air and then left the area.
The Berkeley Unified School District also released a statement about Thursday’s shooting. It appears below in full.
Shooting Near Grove Park Today / Tiroteo Cerca de Grove Park el Día de Hoy
February 24, 2022
Dear BUSD Community
I am writing to inform you of a shooting that took place today on the 1800 block of Oregon St. in Berkeley. This location is several blocks from BUSD’s King Child Development Center, Malcolm X Elementary School, Sylvia Mendez Elementary School, Longfellow Middle School, and Berkeley Technology Academy.
According to the Berkeley Police Department, the shooting was reported in a call that came in at 12:37 pm. The victim, a teenage boy, was struck multiple times. He was taken to a local hospital and is reportedly in stable condition. The Berkeley Police Department is asking that anyone with information about this incident contact the Berkeley Police Homicide Unit at (510) 981-5741.
This incident was at least several blocks from any BUSD school, and the Berkeley Police did not advise that any of our schools go on lockdown. All principals of the campuses in the area of the shooting have been notified and asked to remain alert.
Brent Stephens
Superintendent
Febrero 24, 2022
Estimada Comunidad en BUSD:
Le escribo para informarle acerca de un tiroteo que tuvo lugar el día de hoy en el bloque 1800 de Oregon St. en Berkeley. Esta ubicación se encuentra a varias cuadras de King Child Development Center, Malcolm X Elementary School, Sylvia Mendez Elementary School, Longfellow Middle School y Berkeley Technology Academy todas pertenecen a BUSD.
Según el Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Berkeley, el tiroteo fue denunciado en una llamada que entró a las 12:37 pm. La víctima, un joven adolescente, recibió múltiples impactos. Él fue trasladado a un hospital local y, al parecer, su estado es estable. El Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Berkeley solicita que cualquier persona que tenga información acerca de este incidente se comunique con la Unidad de Homicidios de la Policía de la Ciudad de Berkeley (Berkeley Police Homicide Unit) llamando al (510) 981-5741.
Este incidente se produjo al menos a varias cuadras de cualquier escuela de BUSD, y la Policía de la Ciudad de Berkeley no aconsejó que se cerrara ninguna de nuestras escuelas. Se ha notificado a todos los directores de los establecimientos escolares de la zona del tiroteo y se les ha pedido que permanezcan alerta.
Brent Stephens
Superintendente
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This story was updated after publication due to the developing nature of events. Featured photo: Kelly Sullivan