OAKLAND, Calif. – At least six people were injured in a shooting at a school in east Oakland on Wednesday, officials said.
Paramedics transported six patients to hospitals, all with gunshot wounds, according to Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tweeted that investigators said all six victims are adults. Officials didn’t say if any of the victims might be students age 18 or older, but Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief Darren Allison said police believe all victims had an affiliation with the school.
Allison said the shooting happened at the Rudsdale Newcomer High School portion of the King Estates campus, which houses four schools that also include Sojourner Truth Independent Study and BayTech Charter School. Investigators are working to determine how the shooting progressed, Allison said, noting that some victims were located inside the building.
“Today’s gun violence at Sojourner Truth school shocks the soul — our schools are sanctuaries for our children,” Schaaf said.
Alameda County Sheriff spokesperson Lt. Ray Kelly said the scene of the shooting was “no longer active.”
Two victims had life-threatening injuries and one person had been released from the hospital as of Wednesday afternoon, Allison said at a press conference. Two others were pending release from the hospital and the last victim had non-life threatening injuries.
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Allison said officials were looking for at least one shooter, though he said more suspects could be involved. Nobody was in custody yet on Wednesda.
John Sasaki, a spokesperson for Oakland Unified School District, said in a statement that district officials “do not have any information beyond what Oakland Police are reporting.” He said the Sojourner Truth Independent Study headquarters has no students.
City Council Member Treva Reid said investigators told her the shooting may be tied to rising “group and gang violence.”
Police did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking more information. Television footage showed dozens of police cars and yellow tape on the street outside the schools and students leaving the campus.
Oakland City Council Member Loren Taylor, who was outside the school, declined to confirm any details about the incident, telling KTVU-TV, “Guns were on our school campuses where our babies were supposed to be protected.”
