Gunfire erupts near Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High School

By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

OAKLAND, Calif. – Police swarmed to a neighborhood about a block away from Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High School on Thursday morning after gunfire was heard piercing the air. 

The shots were heard about 7:45 a.m. near 98th and Cherokee avenues. 

A car crash also occurred near the scene.

Police have not yet responded to KTVU’s requests about what happened, but neighbors described what they saw.

According to Billie Dupree, her daughter was driving an SUV with her 13-year-old daughter to a nearby charter school – not Bishop O’Dowd. 

At that point, the driver of a black sedan – where shots were emanating from –  peeled out onto the street and crashed into her SUV, causing it to flip over, Dupree said. 

Dupree’s daughter and her teenage granddaughter were able to get out of the SUV and were not badly hurt; they went to the hospital as a precaution. 

Dupree said there was shooting right before the crash, and even after the crash. 

Other neighbors said they heard dozens of shots. 

Even though Dupree was shaken up, she said: “I feel blessed, [that there’s] nothing wrong with them.”

The father of the 13-year-old girl rushed over as soon as he heard what happened. 

“She just turned the corner and the car was just right on top of her,” he said, relaying what the mother of his child told him. “Airbags deployed. She just heard gunshots.” 

He added: “It’s a miracle, actually. Could have been a lot worse. Could have been a lot worse.”

The black sedan was empty by the time KTVU crews arrived. It’s unclear where the driver and possibly passengers were. 

No one from Bishop O’Dowd was involved and a school message to parents alerted them that drop-off might be slightly affected because of the police activity. 

Several streets in the area were closed. 

People came out from the neighborhood to take pictures of the scene.

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.