Oakland police investigate fatal shooting in hills

OAKLAND, Calif. - A normally peaceful neighborhood in the Oakland hills turned into a crime scene Wednesday morning after a man was found shot to death on the side of a busy road.

At about 6:30 a.m., a bicyclist riding down Joaquin Miller Road noticed a body lying on the side of the road near Skyline Boulevard and notified police.

“Joaquin Miller and Skyline,” an Oakland police dispatcher said on the radio. “[Citizen] found a man down, appears to be bleeding from the head, says there’s a bullet casing next to the body. Says it’s near the speed limit sign.”

Minutes later, officers arrived and confirmed that a man in his 20s had been shot. He died at the scene. His name has not been released.

Although violence in the Oakland hills is relatively rare, it’s not immune to so-called “body-dump” cases, in which victims are shot somewhere else before their bodies are dumped in the hills.

In Wednesday’s case, police said the bullet casing found at the scene suggests that the victim had indeed been shot at that location.

Under a light rain, officers spent much of the morning combing the area for evidence. The crime scene is just up the hill from the popular dog park at Joaquin Miller Park, and parts of the neighborhood offer scenic views of the bay.

Neighbors who live in the area said they were surprised by the violence, given that the neighborhood is not known for shootings or homicides

“Never been concerned for my safety. I just love it up here,” said Alice Gardner, 93, who has lived on nearby Crockett Place for 35 years.

“It’s shocking that anybody is ever killed. I mean, wherever you are in Oakland or in any place. It’s shocking,” said Nancy Norman, who relatives live on the same street.

No arrests have been made. Oakland police are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything to call them at (510) 238-3821.