15-year-old girl gunned down in road rage shooting in Oakland
"How many times do we have to cry out for help?" the police chief said.
A 15-year-old girl has been gunned down in a road rage shooting in Oakland, California, the latest slaying in unrelenting gun violence that's been ravaging the city.
The Oakland teen was driving with her uncle Wednesday night when her uncle and someone in another car "began to have dialogue," which led to arguing between the drivers, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said at a news conference.
Someone in the other car fired multiple rounds striking the "innocent 15-year-old," Armstrong said.
No arrests have been made, police said.
Authorities identified the teen as Shamara Young.
"She loved her family a lot. She loved her little brothers. And she was very protective of them," Young's mother told reporters.
"She was an awesome daughter," she said. "She'd always give hugs and kisses and smother me with attention."
Oakland has had 109 homicides this year, the chief said at Thursday's news conference.
"How many times do we have to cry out for help? How many times do we have to say to you that we are in a moment of crisis?" he said. "Our children are in danger."
Overcome with emotion, the chief said, "The police department has not done enough. The community has not done enough. The leaders of this city have not done enough. Today everybody in this city should be hurt."
After a long pause, Armstrong continued: "When you have children, you understand. You understand when your kids leave home you expect them to return safe. ... Let this be a calling to all of us that we have to do something."
