BART passengers have mixed reaction to fatal shooting at West Oakland station
WEST OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- As passengers resumed their workweek commute, police continued their search for a gunman after a deadly shooting on a BART train that was caught on cellphone video. A nurse on the train performed CPR, but the victim did not survive.
On Monday, there was a mixed reaction to the shooting among passengers. One woman told ABC7 News that she wore flat shoes in case she needed to run. But for the most part, riders are viewing the shooting as an anomaly.
People running late, walking fast, and keeping to themselves. It was a typical Monday morning at the West Oakland BART station, with one exception -- this was the first commute since a fatal shooting took place on the train.
"You got to get to work so you can't really do anything different," said one commuter.
VIDEO: Witnesses speak out about West Oakland BART shooting
On Saturday night, witnesses say a disheveled man boarded a San Francisco-bound train at the Rockridge or MacArthur station. Just before the West Oakland stop, they say he opened fire on a passenger and then ran away. The victim died. Cellphone video shows the chaos and fear that followed and continues to linger.
"I feel nervous, but it was at 8 p.m. Saturday night so the morning commute is probably safe, hopefully," said commuter Kelli Pennington.
She doesn't plan to change her commute unless violence on the train becomes routine. That's a common theme among riders.
"It sounds to me like it was a targeted person and a one off incident," said Pennington. "I don't think it's a general danger to the population."
Another commuter said, "I think Saturdays and weekdays are different. If it happened during commute it would be a totally different story."
However, at the downtown Berkeley BART station, one rider told ABC7 News he boarded the train with trepidation on Monday
"I was anxious a little bit I guess you'd say," he said.
BART police do not have any update on the shooter or his whereabouts. He's described as slim, bald African American man about 6 feet 3 inches tall. He was wearing a green hoodie, jeans, and tan boots.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call police.
