‘The Worst I’ve Seen’: Community Shocked After Toddler Killed In Gun Battle Between Cars On Highway

by Shawn Chitnis

OAKLAND, Calif. (CBS SF) — Drivers traveling done Alameda County connected Sunday were inactive processing the shocking quality that a toddler riding successful a conveyance was killed aft being struck by a slug from a rolling weapon conflict betwixt 2 vehicles connected Interstate Highway 880 the time before. Jasper Wu mislaid his beingness conscionable shy of his 2nd birthday.

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“It’s an implicit tragedy. My bosom goes retired to the family,” said Chris Schalge, who spent portion of his time driving connected the freeway earlier stopping successful Oakland. “I’m truly atrocious to perceive astir that kid and their family. What they’re having to spell through, it’s unimaginable.”

Relatives confirmed to KPIX-TV connected Saturday that a young lad had not turned 2 years aged yet. He was deed by a stray bullet. California High Patrol said determination was crossfire betwixt 2 cars connected Saturday on I-880 erstwhile the household of the young boy, Jasper Wu, drove by successful a 3rd car.

“It’s heartbreaking, you know? You ne'er privation to perceive that astir your city,” an Oakland nonmigratory said portion stopping for state connected Sunday. “There’s nary benignant of mentation for that. There’s nary benignant of justification for that.”

On Monday, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf released the pursuing connection regarding the tragedy:

“To suffer a 23-month-old to weapon unit is arsenic heart-wrenching and arsenic sickening arsenic it gets. As a parent and arsenic a mayor, I’m devastated by the totality of quality nonaccomplishment and trauma caused by weapon unit successful our society. As our section assists the California Highway Patrol to analyse this tragedy, and bring the perpetrators to justice, we telephone connected anyone who whitethorn person accusation to stock it with CHP investigators immediately.”

Community leaders accidental the unit happening successful Oakland is dissimilar thing they’ve seen successful their lifetime. While the transgression has been retired of power each twelvemonth successful their eyes, they consciousness similar this latest shooting lone underlines the request for a caller attack to stopping the nonaccomplishment of guiltless life.

“The thought that you don’t expect thing similar this, it’s conscionable truthful acold removed from thing you could person thought of arsenic you started your travel connected this day,” Bishop Bob Jackson told KPIX 5 connected Sunday. “It’s the worst that I’ve seen and I’ve lived present each my life. I’ll beryllium 76 adjacent month.”

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Jackson acknowledged the murders happening successful his metropolis during 1 of his services astatine Acts Full Gospel Church. He hears the vexation from his community, unsure what to bash erstwhile idiosyncratic could beryllium the random unfortunate of weapon unit portion driving connected the freeway.

“It’s astir unprecedented. I’ve ne'er seen thing similar it,” helium said. “You would beryllium successful your location 24 hours of the time with bars and each of that due to the fact that it’s everywhere. It’s not conscionable connected the freeway.”

He and different Oakland residents accidental determination isn’t a alteration that tin beryllium made successful mundane beingness to effort and debar these shootings. Jackson has called connected a semipermanent attack from metropolis leaders and instrumentality enforcement due to the fact that helium says lone past volition Oakland statesman to code the issue.

“How tin you debar that?” the Oakland nonmigratory asked portion filling up his state tank. “People request to alteration immoderate of the things they’re doing and not bash immoderate of the things that they’re doing origin it’s affecting everybody.”

Even those who unrecorded elsewhere successful the Bay Area accidental they cannot debar definite freeways conscionable due to the fact that of unit that makes its mode onto their commute.

“It’s benignant of an unavoidable situation, I can’t deliberation of what other I would do,” Schalge said. “I wouldn’t debar the freeway but that doesn’t mean thing shouldn’t beryllium done astir this.”

The Mayor’s Office did not respond to KPIX TV’ss petition for remark connected this shooting. CHP said Sunday it did not person immoderate caller accusation astir suspects oregon conveyance descriptions successful this case.

Jackson hopes the politician volition state a authorities of exigency aft this shooting and truthful galore different incidents of unit successful 2021. He argues that a caller level of coordination and resources for section instrumentality enforcement agencies is needed to lick this crisis.

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“You ne'er cognize erstwhile the senseless unit is going to interruption retired and erstwhile your beingness could beryllium successful jeopardy,” helium said. “I don’t cognize what’s causing it, but I cognize 1 thing: it seems similar lone God tin halt it.”