Oakland shootout began with person firing at alleged car burglars: police

OAKLAND, Calif. - A gun battle in Oakland Monday pitted alleged car burglars against a person who had witnessed their own car get broken into. 

The witness began shooting at the group as they burglarized a parked vehicle on the 400 block of 10th Street, Oakland police said Tuesday. 

A nearby business manager told KTVU the person pulled out a gun and fired in the middle of the street after they smashed his rear SUV window.

The would-be burglars fled to a waiting vehicle and the witness chased after them in the vandalized car, witnesses said.

"You’ve got to wonder about people taking the law into their own hands," said Eric Hughes, who learned about the shootout Tuesday. "They’re not trained to do what they’re trying to do."

Investigators said the burglars returned fire, and a shootout ensued. Several witnesses tell KTVU that bullets hit buildings, cars and at least one hit an AC Transit Bus.

"From what somebody told me, the bus driver just barely missed getting shot in the head," Hughes said.

There was an exchange of gunfire near 9th Street and Broadway as the two cars wove through downtown streets, police said. 

Police said no one was injured in the crossfire, though there were two cars with people inside that were struck by bullets.

"What if there's somebody walking their dog nearby or some family's just chilling around here?" said Kant Nguyen of Oakland. "They could get hurt too, and then who's going to bear responsibility for that?"

Kant was one of dozens of students in the area during the shootout who was taking his bar exam, but didn't hear the gunfire.

"I'm scared. I've been taking my test here," he said. "I wasn't even aware that was going on."

There was no information from police about possible suspects or the cars they were driving. So far, no arrests have been made.