Two brothers, both students at Berkeley High, were killed in a shooting Saturday night during a house party in North Oakland.
Angel, 15, and his brother Jazy, 17, were the oldest of six siblings, according to an online donation page put up by family members. Angel was a gentle soul “who was always ready for a fun time, constantly carrying joy and laughter wherever he went,” the page says. His older brother was “funny and smart,” a natural protector who was curious and excited about his future education plans.
The shooting happened on the 900 block of Apgar Street near West MacArthur Boulevard right before 10 p.m. Saturday, according to police. A witness told Berkeleyside that teens had been partying at the home, occupied as a short-term rental. The East Bay Times, which broke the story of the shooting, reported that it was a birthday party.
Officers arrived and found multiple people who had been shot. The boys died at the scene despite life-saving measures, according to police.
Police and paramedics found and revived a third victim who had been shot, and they were transported to a local hospital. Emeryville police responded to the scene and found a fourth gunshot victim, who was also taken to a local hospital.
The boys’ family is seeking donations to help support their mother, who is raising the remaining four children on her own.
BUSD Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel wrote in a statement Sunday that the school district was grieving the “beloved members of the BUSD family [who] lost their lives yesterday in a senseless act of gun violence.”
“Our hearts go out to their family and everyone impacted by this tragedy,” Ford Morthel said. “Because these were two of our own, we are all feeling this pain collectively and must hold each other especially close and care for one another.”
She added that comprehensive counseling services and district leadership will be available on campus Monday to offer additional support.
A bystander provided medical aid at the scene
A woman visiting the house next door helped to treat a victim who had been shot on Saturday night. She didn’t want to be named, but told Berkeleyside she had just finished watching a movie when she heard consecutive popping sounds.
For most of the evening she had heard music, laughing and dancing coming from the house.
After the shots rang out, she looked outside the window and the party had gone silent. She saw a teenage boy lying on the driveway. She went outside to ask him if he was OK, thinking he could have tripped and fallen.
He told her he had been shot in the leg, and she worked quickly to apply a tourniquet to his wound using gauze and a belt. She said she learned how to administer first aid as a babysitter, and continued periodic trainings since.
The woman said most of the teenagers had cleared out of the area after the shots were fired, but one person came out of the residence and called 911. Emergency responders soon arrived and began rendering aid to the teenage boy, and she said he was still responsive before he was transported to the hospital.
Oakland police said both people in the hospital are in stable condition.
OPD’s homicide team is investigating the case, and police have not shared any information about arrests.
The Alameda County coroner’s office has not yet confirmed the identity of the two people who died, and police said official identification is pending notification of family members.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we get new information.
Berkeleyside education reporter Ally Markovich contributed reporting to this story.