Man Fatally Shot Near Occupy Oakland Encampment

11:30 p.m. KQED’s Kyung Jin Lee is still on scene, reporting that the vigil drew hundreds of people who lit candles, marched around the encampment, and prayed. Speakers included union representatives. Near midnight, the crowd thinned and the encampment was subdued.

10:00 p..m. Mayor Jean Quan issued a statement, calling for a voluntary end to the encampment. (Full statement below).

Rev. Alexandra Childs of the Alameda Congregational Church told KQED’s Kyung Jin Lee that she and other clergy planned on staying in the camp to act as a buffer between Occupy Oakland campers and police, in case there was any action to remove the encampment tonight.

Mayor’s Statement on Shooting in Downtown Oakland

Tragically, a young man was shot at 14th and Broadway tonight. But whether a murder occurs here or at 98th and International, I call on all Oaklanders to demand peace and reject violence anywhere. Whether this incident is related to the encampment, or is an unrelated act, it is unacceptable.

We heard that fights early in the day were broken up by people on Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Tonight’s incident underscores the reason why the encampment must end. The risks are too great. We need to return OPD resources to addressing violence throughout the city. It’s time for the encampment to end. Camping is a tactic, not a solution.

I call on the community to be united in the need for the camp to close. I am calling on campers to leave voluntarily. We have sent additional outreach workers tonight and made additional shelter beds available.

Our Measure Y outreach workers are reaching out to offer additional services. City Team Ministries, 722 Washington St., has beds for men, and for women, Crossroads Shelter, 7515 International Blvd. We appreciate the service workers at the Interfaith Tent who are also providing outreach to the homeless.

We need a peaceful resolution to the encampment. The campers need to leave voluntarily. I call on the community to be united around a peaceful resolution.

9:46pm: Reporter Kyung Jin Lee is at Frank Ogawa Plaza tonight as friends and family of the victim — along with Occupy Oakland demonstrators — gather and hold vigil. The victim has only been identified as “Alex” at this point. The family members are reluctant to talk at this time, but Kyung Jin did speak to one, who said that Alex was a “supporter” of the Occupy Oakland demonstrations, but was not a camper on the plaza. Many questions remain, namely: was the shooting related in any way to the Occupy Oakland demonstrations, now almost one month old.

7:10pm: KQED’s Peter Jon Shuler just attended a short press conference with Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan.

Chief Jordan confirmed the victim was pronounced dead at Highland Hospital.

There was an altercation between two groups of African-American men, a gun was drawn and several shots were fired into the crowd, Jordan said. It is unclear whether the victim was a bystander or part of one of the arguing groups; Chief Jordan did not specify if the people were associated with Occupy Oakland demonstrators.

The suspect is still at large and no weapon has been recovered. Oakland Police are asking that witnesses come forward and provide information about the crime.

6:49pm: The Associated Press reports that the shooting victim has died.

(AP) — A man has died after being shot just outside the Oakland encampment that anti-Wall Street protesters have occupied for the last month.

Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan says the victim was pronounced dead at a local hospital Thursday evening, less than two hours after two groups of men got into a fight near the Occupy Oakland camp on a plaza near City Hall.

Jordan says no suspects have been identified. He asked members of the public participating in the protest who may have taken photographs or video that captured the shooting to contact authorities.

The chief says investigators do not yet know if the men in the fight were associated with Occupy Oakland. But protest organizers say they weren’t.

6:30pm: Bay City News is reporting that …

• The shooting took place near the Occupy encampment, but not in it.
• The victim is male.
• Barucha Peller, a member of the Occupy Oakland encampment, said some of the first people to help the victim were medics from the camp.
• A witness says he saw police pull over a car at the junction of Broadway and Telegraph and pulled out the driver at gunpoint.
• The 12th St. BART was closed, but has reopened.

6:20 p.m. Both KTVU and NBC are reporting that the victim has died, but OPD has not issued an official word confirming this yet.

Oakland North tweeted that ABC has confirmed their videographer, Randy Davis, was injured in a scuffle, photographed here by the Tribune’s Jane Tyska.

6:00 p.m. Bart is reporting 30 minute system-wide delays, related to the shooting.

5:52 p.m. Oakland Tribune photographer and multimedia producer Jane Tyska tweeted this photo of ABC 7 videographer being assaulted after the shooting.

5:37 p.m. Oakland North tweets that OPD confirms one victim suffered a gunshot wound. The news organization published this statement, attributed to OPD spokesperson.

“On November 10, 2011 at 4:57 PM, the Oakland Police Department responded to the 1400 block of Broadway on a report of a shooting. When officers arrived on scene they found a victim suffering from a gun shot wound. This is all the information we have at this time. We will up date you as we receive more information.”

5:29 p.m. KTVU reports the shooting took place at the Tully’s coffee shop, which is located on the corner of 14th Street and Broadway Avenue, on the edge of the plaza.

5:10 p.m. We’re hearing reports from other news organizations that shots have been fired near the Occupy Oakland encampment in Frank Ogawa Plaza.

KQED’s Peter Jon Shuler is on the scene reporting, and we will update the blog as more information is available.