Apparently your shoes can now be mistaken for part of a gang uniform and that's what happened in Brentwood. Some shoes are in such high demand criminals are willing to rob you for them.
"Like that's our best friend, like literally that's our best friend. Everybody's just sad," said a friend of the victim.
Almost everyone at Albany High knows the 15-year-old boys involved in the shooting. Police say two of the three boys were shot Thursday afternoon along the Ohlone Greenway -- a crosstown bike path in neighboring El Cerrito.
It happened right behind Fairmont Elementary School. Police say two teenaged male suspects confronted the Albany students.
We interviewed one of the victim's friends who told us, "A guy came up to him and tried to rob him for his shoes." They said the suspects wanted one boy's Nike Foamposite shoes and when he wouldn't give them up, they both pulled out guns and shot him twice in the torso.
"It's crazy. I can't believe it happened because he's not the type of person you would expect to get into any trouble like that," said the friend.
During the shooting a bullet grazed another boy in the face.
On Thursday, a memo went out to Albany High School parents cautioning them about the clothes their kids might be wearing.
"When their students are out and about, outside of school, to remember that we're in an urban environment, and sometimes that's a little hard to remember in Albany," said Albany Unified School District superintendent Marla Stevenson.
Earlier this week in Brentwood, four other teenage boys between 13 and 16 were also shot over their shoes. Brentwood police said on Monday a carload of three to four male suspects confronted the boys near Freedom High School. They reportedly told them their Nike Cortez shoes were gang banger shoes. Then, a few minutes later they opened fire on the teens. Brentwood police say the boys are not affiliated with a gang and they are expected to recover.
The Albany boy, who was shot in the torso, has been upgraded to stable condition. So far, no one has been arrested in either of these incidents.
