What began as a joyful graduation celebration at Skyline High School in Oakland ended in gunfire and chaos that sent three people to the hospital Thursday evening, Oakland police said.
The shooting occurred just before 7:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the school at 12250 Skyline Blvd. in the Oakland hills as people were leaving the graduation ceremony, according to Oakland police.
According to the preliminary investigation by police, two groups of people got into a fight in the parking lot, leading to shots being fired. Officers at the scene found two people who had been hit by gunfire, while a third shooting victim later showed up at a hospital. All three are expected to survive, police said.
Officers detained multiple people in connection with the shooting and placed one of them under arrest but did not release their name.
Some witnesses described hearing what they thought were fireworks until they realized it was actually gunfire. A video circulating on social media appears to show a group of young people getting into a fight outside of the football field where graduation events were taking place, followed by the sound of gunshots.
Investigators are looking for additional suspects and are asking anyone who attended the graduation and has video or photos of the shooting to email cidvideos@oaklandca.gov. People can also call the OPD felony assault unit at 510-238-3426 with any information about the case.
Oakland Unified School District superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said in a statement that behavioral health staff were at Skyline High on Friday to support any students, staff and families affected by the shooting. The districtalso planned to add safety and security measures for remaining graduation ceremonies around Oakland.
“What happened after Skyline High School’s graduation on Thursday evening was heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable,” Johnson-Trammell said.
“Our hearts are with the victims of this incident, their loved ones, and every graduate and their extended community who attended the ceremony to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime achievement,” she said.
This story has been updated from a previous version.
