At least eight shot including 1-year-old child in West Oakland, 50 shell casings

[The Straight Story]

At least eight shot including 1-year-old child in West Oakland


At least eight people, including a 1-year-old boy, were shot Monday night during what police said was a videotaping of a rap music video.

The child was reported in critical condition after undergoing surgery at Children's Hospital Oakland for a bullet wound to the head. An adult woman was also in critical condition with unspecified injuries, according to Oakland Police Department spokeswoman Johnna Watson. Police said the other victims were in stable condition.

Police said an Oakland rapper who goes by the name of Kafani was at the scene of the shooting, which happened at 6:08 p.m. in the 700 block of Willow Street, in the parking lot of a liquor store where dozens of people had gathered.

Watson said that at some point an argument erupted and bullets started flying. A van belonging to the rapper was riddled with gunshots, and at least 50 shell casings littered the parking lot. Watson said there was more than one shooter.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19428949

[snooper2]

1. Stay classy oakland, stay classy

[baldguy]

2. If only the 1-yr-old had been carrying a concealed weapon, this wouldn't have happened.

:sarcasm:

[TheWraith]

20. Thank you for that display of ghoulish obsession. nt

[baldguy]

22. Thank you for your solicitous concern.

I'm sure you can direct the interest toward the "gun enthusiasts" who promote the same kind of vacuousness as in my sarcastic post.

[MADem]

3. ,,,,videotaping of a rap music video--WTF?

....It was not clear late Monday whether the victims were in the van, or standing nearby. Several of the injured went to Highland Hospital, and all used their own transportation, Watson said. Kafani was not among the victims....

....Kafani describes himself as a budding music mogul who goes by the handle "Da Ice King." He has used social networking to build his following, claiming millions of downloads from his two MySpace pages and appearances on BET's "106th & Park" and "The Deal" and MTV Jams, in addition to a three album record deal.
In the same bio, Kafani says, "I'm not trying to glorify shooting and killing. I'm rapping about the good life and letting my fans know there is a way out. I'm not trying to sound like anyone else. I'm just Kafani."
Following the shooting Monday, the rapper posted on his Twitter account: "I cant take this (expletive) shootin (expletive) babies". In a later posting, he denied that he was shooting a video.

Doesn't sound like "the good life" to me....

[Javaman]

4. Sadly, nothing new...

this has been going on for a long time.

once upon a time, I was working on a rap video, during my primordial days working in L.A., when we noticed several cars were circling the block.

All had very mean looking guys "mad dogging" us.

We wrapped for the night and went home. The next day, the set, although it had "security guards" was shot up. The "security guards" were no where to be found.

I had a buddy over at Propaganda films who told me that kind of thing was a pretty regular occurrence on their productions (Propaganda in the early '90's was THE production house for rap videos and music videos in general).

[MADem]

6. Jesus! You're lucky you weren't killed! nt

[Javaman]

18. Oh, I know.

That was the first and last rap video I worked on for that company.

[saras]

7. Try living there and making a better life. If you succeed, write a book. Millions are waiting.

[MADem]

10. Why the fuck would I want to live where idiots shoot one year old children?

Who in their right mind would?

Millions aren't waiting--if they were, someone would have tried it already.

Don't say foolish and nonsensical things, it reflects on you.

[backtoblue]

5. Get your children out of those situations

that could harm them. Protecting our children should be forefront on each of our minds, and taking a one year old to such an environment is just crazy.

[Sirveri]

8. The child is going to have to deal with that every day. Might as well learn now.

Once you get stuck in the ghetto it's damned hard to get out.

[MADem]

11. That kid was shot in the head, and will probably be lucky to get out of the hospital in something

other than a body bag.

[gratuitous]

9. "Such an environment"

You mean the United States?

[MADem]

13. A liquor store parking lot where a rap video was being filmed, more likely. nt

[CreekDog]

12. Are you saying not to take a 1 year old to Oakland, or even West Oakland?

400,000 live in Oakland and a fair chunk live in West Oakland.

:shrug:

[backtoblue]

15. No, that's not the point.

Don't take them to a weapon-heavy recording studio where there might be hostility between the carriers of those weapons. nt

[noiretextatique]

16. at least three shooters opened fire on the group

i don't think anyone fired back.

[noiretextatique]

17. lots of people live in west oakland...including children

because there is lots of low-income housing. i place the blame on the shooters, not the victims. i live in a relatively nice area of oakland, but a 14 yo old boy was shot right across the street during a robbery a couple of years ago while he was getting a piano lesson. i am certain his parents didn't think he'd be shot and paralyzed while playing the piano in a "safe" neighborhood.

[KamaAina]

19. West Oakland is also an important center for artists

Oakland as a whole supports more artists per capita than any other large U.S. city, if only because so many have been priced out of San Francisco.

One of my very favorite human beings is an artist who lives a few blocks from the scene. She has a disability and wouldn't be able to hit the ground if gunfire erupted. :scared:

http://www.sunaurataylor.org

[WinkyDink]

14. Had they just visited with Santa?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2396855&mesg_id=2396855

[michreject]

21. Gang on gang crimes

No amount of laws are going to stop this.