Shooting Injures 2 Adults, Child At Bay Area Youth Football Game

OAKLAND, CA — Two adults and a child were struck by gunfire Sunday afternoon during a youth football game at Oakland Technical High School, authorities said.

Five hundred people were in attendance at the "pee wee football game" when gunfire incited panic at the game, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong told reporters on Monday.

"OPD is saddened by this blatant disregard for life that occurred yesterday as individuals show complete lack of passion for young people out there participating in the peewee football game," Armstrong said.

Shortly after 1:15 p.m., officers responded to the 4300 block of Broadway to the school's football field and learned that three victims were shot — one of which was a 6-year-old child, he said.

The three victims were recovering at local hospitals in stable condition, Armstrong said.

"Unfortunately this is not the first time these children have experienced gunfire while at a team event," Armstrong said.

The Oakland Dynamites are the same team that faced a shooting last year on Feb. 24 at Concordia Park, when dozens of children were endangered in a shooting that killed one adult. The children reportedly witnessed the deadly shooting, Armstrong said. The suspect later turned himself into the San Leandro Police Department, according to media reports.

"Unfortunately, this was some street beef that spilled onto the football field," the Oakland Dynamites said in an apology on Facebook. "Even tho this isn't our 1st incident involving a gun, this is not a Dynamite problem this is a Oakland problem!"

Oakland Councilmember Sheng That decried the shooting and called for tougher gun laws on Facebook.

"These cowardly acts of violence are not tolerable and should not be tolerated! We must continue to crack down on ghost guns, gun traffickers and criminals who terrorize our community by resorting to gun violence," Thao wrote, urging Californians to work with Attorney General Rob Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom on passing a suite of new gun restricting laws.

"This Tuesday is National Night Out. There is no better time for our neighborhoods to ban together to take a stand against the lawlessness and violence that we saw today," Thao said.

Police were still searching for a suspect on Tuesday.

"We're looking for physical descriptions, photos that anyone at this event may have," Armstrong said. "I hope that we as a community can say that this is unacceptable — that these children's lives were put at risk yesterday and somebody needs to be held accountable for this."

Anyone with information about the shooting was urged to contact police at 510-238-3426.