15-year-old Oakland girl fatally shot in road rage incident, city's 109th homicide this year
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- In the early hours of Thursday morning, a 15-year-old girl was shot and killed in the passenger seat of a car following a road rage incident in East Oakland.
Speaking at a news conference Thursday afternoon, an emotional Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said that his heart breaks over the tragic incident.
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"How much do we have to bring before the public. How many times do we have to cry out for help? How many times do we have to say to you that we are in a moment of crisis," Armstrong said.
However, Armstrong says police alone can't stop the violence.
He's calling for a multi-pronged approach with the community playing a key role.
"If you haven't spoken out, you should feel saddened by that. If you haven't exercised your voice, you should feel saddened for that," Armstrong said.
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Thursday's incident marks the 109th homicide so far this year and comes on the heels of another homicide last week that saw the killing of a beloved Oakland educator.
President of the Oakland Police Officer's Association Barry Donelan says OPD just doesn't have the resources to keep up.
"Almost 300 shootings this year yet, at the same time, we have a significant attrition problem in the police department as officers are leaving and going to agencies in communities around us," he said.
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But with between 1,500 to 2,000 calls coming into the department per day, Armstrong says he doesn't have time to wait for long-term solutions.
"Community needs help right now. We don't have time to wait. Five homicides in seven days. That's what we've seen," Armstrong said.
