Two teens killed in Oakland marking more than 50 homicides this year

OAKLAND, Calif. - Two teenagers were killed Sunday in Oakland, marking the city’s 50th and 51st homicides of the year, authorities said.

Police responded to reports of ShotSpotter activity near Highland Avenue and East 26th Street in the city’s Highland Terrace neighborhood just before 6 p.m.

When officers arrived, the East Bay Times reported they found a 17-year-old boy lying in the roadway in the 2100 block of East 26th Street near Morgan Plaza Park and suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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A second 17-year-old managed to get  to a hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

Investigators told the East Bay Times that the two teens are believed to have known each other.

A man has detained in the shootings, but his name has not been released.

The deaths of the teens come as there has been a rise in homicides this year, driven by a rise in ghost guns and the inability for the city's Ceasefire program to operate fully and in person during the pandemic.

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Last year at this time police had investigated 24 homicides in the city, the East Bay Times reported. Last year there were 109 homicides.

Before last year, the last time Oakland recorded more than 100 homicides was 2012, when there were 131, with 126 classified as murders.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in each killing. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821 or 510-238-7950 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.