What started as a short trip home ended with an Oakland family pleading for help for their 15-month-old daughter who had been shot.
Around 6:15 p.m. Monday, the family was driving through the intersection of 12th Avenue and East 15th Street in Oakland when someone opened fire, hitting the baby as he sat in the car seat.
“At this point in the investigation, we have obtained video footage in the area that shows a black male subject at the corner of 11th Avenue and East 15th Avenue shooting eastbound at an unknown vehicle,” said Lt. Oakland Police Officer Seth Neri. . “We believe the victims were not the intended target, but were caught in the crossfire and a stray bullet struck the child.”
Police said the baby started crying and her father got out of the car to check on her, but he didn’t immediately realize she had been hit by a bullet.
The family, including the baby’s parents and his 5-year-old sister, drove a short distance before realizing the boy had been shot in the stomach. That’s when they ran to a fire station a few blocks away.
Surveillance video shows them banging on the door screaming for help. Eight firefighters and paramedics went into action, treating the baby for a gunshot wound to the stomach. She was then transported by ambulance to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital – Oakland, where she underwent surgery.
“We’ve heard from the doctor and the family that the boy is in stable condition, thankfully,” said Oakland Fire Chief Reginald Freeman. “This is due in large part to the quick actions taken by our staff here at Station 4.”
Meanwhile, police are trying to figure out why a man was shooting at cars.
“What we do know is that the community has some challenges with illegal sex trafficking, so there could be that potential,” Oakland Police Acting Deputy Chief Roland Holmgren said. “We also know that sometimes group or gang conflicts do come across and there’s this kind of mentality in place where they attack each other. The investigation is still in its infancy right now.”
