Oakland School Shooting

‘I'm Good:' Oakland Unified Employee Recovers From Gunshot Wound to the Head

Jason Arbuckle is one of six people shot at the Kings Estate School in Oakland

NBC Universal, Inc.

A carpenter for the Oakland Unified School District is recovering in the hospital after being shot in the head on the King Estate school campus Wednesday.

“Everyone is just shocked that I’m even walking and talking and just the way that I am,” said the victim, Jason Arbuckle. “People are just shocked.”

He was at the campus to handle multiple projects, including building a trophy case in one of the lobbies. But half way through this project, he heard a loud ringing noise. 

“I hear this ‘pop pop’ and I’m like, 'oh s---,'” said Arbuckle.   

That sound was gunshots ringing through the campus. He hit the ground for cover but not before one of the bullets hit him in the back of the head. 

“Bullet had gone through my scalp, underneath the skin came out the other side and grazed my skill,” Arbuckle said.

He got up, headed for a courtyard, and tried to call both 911 and family members but nobody picked up. 

He then started walking toward a school building and spotted a student with a gunshot wound to the arm.

The entire time, Arbuckle said he didn't know he'd been hit until another student pointed it out to him.

“‘Bro, you’re leaking blood bad, leaking everywhere, you need to put pressure on that,’” Arbuckle said he was told.    

The carpenter then rushed to a nearby bathroom to try and stop the bleeding. That's when a teacher spotted him and pulled him into a nearby classroom where they waited and tried to stop the bleeding until paramedics arrived. 

“He’s got me underneath the sink, running my head, ripping a table cloth, turns into strips, keep the blood contained and tightened,” said Arbuckle.

On Thursday, one day later, he was surprisingly in good spirits, thankful to be here and thankful for the love and support he’s received in the past 24 hours.

He is one of six people shot at the Oakland school.

“I don’t know everybody,” he said. “There are a lot of people wishing good for me, I’m good. I’m good, people. Your prayers were answered, I’m good.”

Contact Us