2 Oakland EZ's Lounge bar victims killed in shooting ID'd

OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland police on Monday identified the second victim of a mass shooting at a downtown bar over the weekend, which rocked the city following a First Friday event hours beforehand.

2 EZ's Lounge victims ID'd

Police identified one of the victims as 24-year-old Markise Martin, and confirmed the identity of 33-year-old Latetia Bobo, whom friends and colleagues had ID'd earlier. 

KTVU has learned from sources that police believe another man and Martin got into an argument at the nightclub and opened fire on each other. Sources say Martin was shot and as he fell, sprayed bullets that apparently killed Bobo and injured the other victims.

Bobo was an eighth-grade English teacher at Caliber Public Schools, a San Pablo charter school called Beta Academy, where her colleagues said she was "deeply cherished." 

A GoFundMe for Martin said that he was a "loving son and a devoted father" to his 1-year-old daughter. Court records also show Martin is a convicted felon.

Five others injured

Five others were injured during the Saturday shooting at 3:30 a.m. at EZ's Lounge, a bar located at 412 14th Street. The bar officially closes at 2 a.m. 

The backstory:

The shooting took place on a particularly busy night in Oakland, coinciding with the return of First Fridays, a free monthly community festival held in the area. The event, which featured additional police presence and community ambassadors, concluded at 9:30 p.m. — but attendees continued to gather at nearby businesses, including in front of EZ's Lounge, into the early morning hours.

Officers originally said they detained "multiple individuals at the scene" and recovered several firearms. But as of Monday, police did not announce any arrests, and they said they are "actively seeking suspects."

"It just goes to show that far too many people have easy access to these deadly weapons," said Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife, who represents downtown.

Referring to added security measures, Fife said, "This weekend was the first time some of those changes, in terms of like barricades, ticketing, different types of enforcement for double parking were supposed to be holistically implemented."

But Fife said the shooting broke out at a private event, outside the scope of the city's measures and First Friday.

Bobo died at the scene, and Martin died at the hospital.

In a statement Monday, Bobo's family expressed gratitude for the public's support.

"Ms. Bobo's intellect, positivity, and strong sense of self-awareness were shared with those she came into contact with. Her compassion, her energy, and her standard of excellence have and will continue to be a conduit of positivity for those who were blessed to know her," the statement said. "Latetia Bobo achieved success in multiple areas, including film, skin care, and most recently, education."

Posts to the Caliber Public Schools' Instagram page, by parents, students, and staff described Bobo as a beloved teacher. 

One person posted: "This beautiful soul shaped and pushed both my kids to be the best they can be. She will leave behind a huge hole that is next to impossible to fill."

Another wrote: "She was love. She was heart. She was soul. She was selfless…I am numb and heartbroken."

Witness accounts

What they're saying:

Over the weekend, a tattoo artist named Kuzi who works nearby at Oakland Ink, said he did not hear the gunshots but quickly realized something was wrong.

"I just heard like 100 people running," he said. "I saw one of the girls that got shot — she was running and bleeding all over the street right here."

Kuzi described a chaotic scene outside the club.

"There were a lot of people crying, screaming, the whole street blocked off," he said. Witnesses who had been inside the lounge told him the gunman entered the venue and opened fire without warning.

Alison Campbell, owner of Truve, a business on the same block, said the violence was deeply troubling.

"It's alarming," Campbell said. "I immediately reached out to my landlord and was like, 'Hey, we need to find out what's going on here, because this is not good for my business, it's not good for Oakland.'"

Campbell said she believes the shooting could have been prevented and expressed sympathy for the victims' families.

"I feel for the families who are dealing with injured or have lost someone today," she said. "But it's something that can be prevented — I fully believe it can be prevented."

What you can do:

Oakland police say if anyone has information, they should contact the Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821, call the TIP LINE at 238-7950, or email cidvideos@oaklandca.gov.

OaklandCrime and Public Safety