(BrightPress.org) – On Thursday, May 23rd, three people were injured at a shooting at Skyline High School in Oakland, California just after the school’s high school graduation ceremony had ended. The incident occurred just as people were beginning to leave the ceremony around 7:45 PM.
According to the Oakland Police Department, a fight began between two groups in the parking lot of the school. Three people were injured after the fight escalated and shots were fired. Police found two victims at the school and a third was found at a local hospital. All victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to survive. OPD said multiple suspects were apprehended and one has been arrested. Police are still searching for more witnesses and additional shooters.
Several witnesses reported hearing the shots and seeing an altercation. One woman said she heard “two bangs” and saw people running, then saw a “group of guys shooting.” Kyle Jackson was recording a video when he heard gunshots and then saw “everyone running for safety.” A student graduate, Mohamed Sulaiman, said the school staff did a “very good job” of getting the students and their families to safety. He said he was happy because he graduated, but sad that someone had been shot and injured.
OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said the shooting happening on campus immediately following the ceremony was “heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable.” She praised the Skyline staff for their quick response in taking control of the situation until police arrived on the scene. Johnson-Trammell said security for other OUSD graduations would be increased and that behavioral health staff would be available at Skyline on Friday for support of students, staff, and families.
The school police department was disbanded in 2020, prompting the district to find alternative measures for security such as implementing security cameras, fencing, and using a “buzz-in” system for visitors. These measures began throughout the school system before the shooting at Skyline’s high school graduation.
Another shooting happened at Skyline near the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. Three minors were charged in the incident.
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