8-year-old caught in crossfire of I-580 shootout in grave condition: CHP
OAKLAND, Calif. - California Highway Patrol is investigating a freeway shooting on I-580 in Oakland Friday that injured an innocent 8-year-old boy, leaving him in grave condition.
A CHP spokesperson said they received multiple reports of people in two cars shooting at each other around 6:20 p.m. on eastbound I-580 near Grand Avenue. Officers said the 8-year-old, who was riding in another uninvolved vehicle, was hit by the gunfire.
The child was taken to Highland Hospital, then transferred to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, according to authorities.
CHP said the two suspect vehicles they are looking for are a dark gray sedan and maroon SUV.
"We do everything we can as the California Highway Patrol one as an agency in our allied agencies to make sure that our roadways are safe for the public," said Lt. Slade Durham. "Unfortunately events happen that are outside of our control, but our goal is to identify these suspects, bring it to a conclusion, and bring them to justice."
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Freeway shooting in San Francisco leaves 1 person injured; road rage suspected
A woman was hit by a bullet Friday afternoon when an apparent road rage incident erupted into a freeway shooting on US-101 near the I-280 interchange in San Francisco, according to California Highway Patrol.
Video from the scene showed CHP officers walking the empty highway looking for evidence.
All lanes of eastbound I-580 at Harrison Street were shutdown for about six hours. The freeway reopened about 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
Authorities ask anyone with information regarding this incident to call the CHP Investigations Tipline at 707-917-4491.
Freeway shootings in the nine Bay Area counties have gone up since 2021, according to an analysis of California Highway Patrol data.
Interactive map: A look at Bay Area freeway shootings
From guns to gangs and just overall road rage, there's a growing shooting problem on Bay Area freeways. But until there are more tools in place – and political will to reduce gun violence throughout the nine-county region – the message is out that long stretches of roads with massive blind spots are convenient places to escape accountability.
Overall, the California Highway Patrol's arrest rate statewide ranges from about 10% to 20%.
The lack of cameras and witnesses, the mobility of Bay Area rivals from city to city and the dynamic nature of a freeway crime scene all make it difficult to track down those firing weapons out of their speeding cars.