A 15-year-old Alameda High School student was shot Oct. 31 after an attempted robbery incident at Washington Park.
The teen later died from a gunshot wound after being transferred to Highland General Hospital. Meanwhile, the police continue to look for the suspects, described as five to six male juveniles.
The shooting occurred last night at 10:12 p.m. in Washington Park and police found the victim in the playground area of the park, according to a police press statement.
“We’re working to determine who is responsible,” said Lt. Art Fuentes, spokesperson for the police department.
Investigators are also working with BART and AC Transit officials after it was determined that public transit was one way the suspects could have gotten out of the city, Fuentes said.
Meanwhile, students and school officials are still reeling over the news of the shooting. Michael Janvier, principal of Alameda High School, said an announcement was made earlier in the day and students held a moment of silence.
“The mood here is somber,” Janvier said, “The campus is quiet, reflective.”
The student who was shot has been with the school district for four years and she was a junior at Alameda High, Janvier said. An immigrant from Mongolia and English language learner, the teen was a strong student and maintained a 3.3. grade point average, Janvier said. She was also taking courses in Spanish, choir, chemistry and calculus, he said.
“This is the first experience of this type of incident in my time here,” Janvier said, who has been a principal at the school of four years.
Extra counselors were available at school today for students affected by the recent death. Students and parents alike said they were stunned by the news of the shooting.
“I was shocked, I don’t think this usually happens here in Alameda,” said Kaila Chan, a sophomore at the school.
The murder is the first this year for the city of Alameda. Last year, there were two homicides in the city, Fuentes said.
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