Man in custody, allegedly fired 50 rounds at Oakland-Piedmont border home

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU/BCN) - OAKLAND (BCN) A suspect has been arrested after he allegedly fired multiple rounds from a gun outside his home near the Oakland-Piedmont border on Tuesday evening, police said.

Officers responded at about 5:44 p.m. Tuesday to the 4400 block of Moraga Avenue in Oakland to investigate a report of multiple gunshots heard in the area and found a man who is an Oakland resident armed with a firearm, according to police.

The officers safely took the 34-year-old man into custody and recovered the gun, police said.

No injuries were reported.

"Multiple, like maybe three different bursts of you like, 'deng deng deng deng' and then a pause, and then another like that," said Erika Clowes, who lives in the neighborhood.  

"Seven gunshots from a handgun, then five gunshots, then four more," an Oakland police dispatcher said on the radio. "They're saying a large caliber handgun."

Officers responding to the shooting also heard the gunfire. "I just heard a three-round burst," an officer reported. "Gunshots."

Authorities say the suspect fired at least 50 rounds, and that a weapon similar to an AK-47 was recovered from the scene. Each bullet hole was circled with yellow police chalk.  

The suspect lives across the street from the home. His relatives declined to comment. A motive isn't clear. 

KTVU knocked on the door of the victim's home, but no one answered. Neighbors say a man who recently went on disability lives at the home with his brother.

Many residents heard the gunfire and shrugged it off at first. 

Dean Charlton said his wife heard the gunfire first, and he told her that couldn't be right.

"I just didn't want to believe it," Charlton said. "And she looked out the door, and it was full of police cars, and she said that was definitely gunshots." 

Clowes said, "It went on for a good portion of time. I thought there was construction going on. There definitely was time for damage."
 
Another resident Julian Medina said, "It's concerning for sure, and just the sound, it sounded like it could have been like an automatic weapon because the shots were so close together." 

Police said they thank the community members who provided information that led to the man's arrest.

The suspect, whose name was not released, was arrested on suspicion of willful discharge of a firearm and shooting into an inhabited dwelling and is being medically evaluated. 

Oakland police said their investigation into the shooting is ongoing and anyone with information about it should call their felony assault section at (510) 238-3426.