3 stray bullet incidents in Oakland in a matter of days, city leaders pushing for change
"You have to be on guard and be aware of your surroundings at all times... And I've never felt like that in my city that I love."
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- In a matter of just days, three incidents involving stray bullets occurred in the city of Oakland.
The first, involved 23-month-old Jasper Wu, who was killed while riding in his mother's car on Interstate 880.
Then, a concert goer wounded outside the Fox Theater.
The third happened Thursday afternoon when an installer for a security services company was shot while on the job in East Oakland.
"I wish I knew the answer, but it is heartbreaking to see so much rapid violence in the city of Oakland this year," said Donald Lacy.
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Lacy is the founder of the Love Life Foundation, a group that works to stop violence in the city.
He says the current situation is the worst it's been in years.
"You have to be on guard and be aware of your surroundings at all times, and that's for anybody. And I've never felt like that in my city that I love," Lacy said.
It's a view shared by Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, who spoke at an event Friday held for Jasper Wu.
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"We continue to say that this violence must stop. That we need to see the firearms removed from our streets. And that we are doing everything we can, with every resource we have to address violence in the city of Oakland," Armstrong said.
The upswing in violence is also of major concern for city leaders.
Oakland Councilmember Loren Taylor represents the district where the security installer was shot.
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Taylor says he's working on an action plan to stem the violence.
"This takes a toll on everybody, and it is time that we step up to bring the resources that are necessary," Taylor said.
The councilmember says his plan will focus on crime prevention, deterrence and response simultaneously.
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But he also acknowledges that while those may long-term solutions, some things need to be done to help the community right now.
"We do need to look at increasing our police force so that they are available, ready to respond and on-hand to deter in those areas where we know there's consistently high crime," Taylor said.
