It’s been yet another bloody weekend in Oakland.
Three people were shot to death over a 12-hour period from Saturday to Sunday.
The first shooting happened in Oakland's Woodland neighborhood at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The victim died at the scene.
Less than four hours later, Oakland Police were called to Martin Luther King Jr. Way for a reported shooting. That victim died at a local hospital. Then, late Sunday morning, a third man was shot and killed about a half mile east of the Coliseum.
"Lord knows that you would never expect to hear about so many shootings," said Regina Jackson, Chair of the Oakland Police Commission.
She blamed the coronavirus pandemic for much of the violence in East Oakland.
"We’re at a really atrocious time with so many people out of work," Jackson added. "Unfortunately, it’s coming out of East Oakland, which is an area where the most disenfranchised are located."
Oakland Police have announced recent violence reduction measures, including more officers patrolling on foot and on bicycles. They’ve also restarted the Cease Fire Initiative, which had been paused during the shelter in place.
The bloodshed brings the city's homicide total to 99, compared to 78 in all of 2019.
