Mom of 2 killed by stray bullet while sleeping in her Oakland home

A mother of two was shot and killed by a stray bullet while sleeping in her home in Oakland’s Laurel District Friday night, District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran confirmed. The tightknit neighborhood is mourning the loss of a “beloved resident,” Ramachandran said.

“It’s absolutely tragic,” she said. “I understand that every part of the city is experiencing a crime wave but when a bullet enters your home, that’s a different level of fear. I want to see a greater sense of urgency.”

The Oakland Police Department responded to a report of a shooting on the 3600 block of 38th Avenue at MacArthur Boulevard shortly before 9:45 p.m., according to an emailed statement from department spokesperson Kim Armstead.

At the scene, officers located the woman with at least one gunshot wound and called medics to rush her to the hospital, Armstead said. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. The fatal shooting is under investigation, and anyone with information can call the department’s homicide section at 510-238-3821.

Oakland has seen 90 homicides since the start of 2023; last year, the city saw 122 homicides.

Ramachandran said she’s working with the Oakland Police Department to plan a community safety walk in the neighborhood to provide residents with ideas on how to better protect their properties. She’s also talking to the department about increasing patrol presence in the neighborhood. A recent $93,000 grant will help fund a community safety ambassador program to “serve as eyes and ears on the street and deterrents,” she said. 

“There’s a lot we have to do to address the uptick in violence,” she said. “This isn’t an isolated incident. There has been a lot of violence in the neighborhood.”