Oakland Juneteenth celebrations morph into show of violence, 15 injured in shooting incident

Fifteen people were shot during a violent incident at a Juneteenth celebration at Lake Merritt, Oakland— over 800 miles south of Washington DC— in the intervening night of June 19 and June 20. The event, which turned chaotic due to an illegal "sideshow," led police to search for multiple shooters as more than 50 shell casings were found at the scene.

No arrests had been made by Thursday afternoon (June 20).

Juneteenth shooting incident: What happened in Oakland?

The peaceful Juneteenth gathering, attended by approximately 5,000 people, was disrupted around 8:15 pm (local time) when about 20 vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes, began a sideshow on the north side of the lake.

Sideshows, or street takeovers, involve dangerous stunts like doughnuts, drifting, and burnouts, often drawing large crowds and obstructing traffic.

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The pattern of mass celebrations morphing into violentsideshowshas become increasingly prevalent in cities across the United States, including Oakland.

Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell reported that the violence escalated when an individual walked across the hood of a sideshow vehicle, prompting multiple occupants to exit the car and attack the person, who sustained injuries severe enough to require hospitalisation, Associated Press reported.

The potentiallyracist motivations in the incident could not be immediately ascertained.

The chaotic scene worsened as some in the crowd began attacking police officers.

A woman was arrested for assaulting an officer who was administering first aid to a gunshot victim.

Among the victims, one person remained in critical condition, with ages ranging from 20 to 30 years old. Other injuries included the loss of fingers and minor gunshot wounds.

"The opportunity to celebrate with your family and friends should never be marred by gunfire," said Chief Mitchell during a Thursday news conference.

Juneteenth, observed on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War. The holiday was designated a federal holiday in 2021 and has since gained wider recognition, marked by numerous public festivities.

(With inputs from agencies)