Oakland

Oakland First Fridays Organizers Cancel Event Following Shooting

Event organizers for Oakland First Fridays, a popular festival held every month in Oakland, said the event scheduled for Friday had been canceled.

Organizers said in a statement the driving reason for the cancellation was a shooting that injured five people in the early morning hours of Oct. 6. In place of the festival, officials will hold a town hall on Nov. 8 at City Hall to address the issue.

The monthly event features art, performances and food and draws thousands of people to Telegraph Avenue and the surrounding areas.

The shooting occurred about three hours after an Oakland First Fridays event.

"Gun violence is an Oakland problem, it's an American problem, and it's a problem we all have a stake in fixing," organizers said in a statement.

Organizers said they plan on holding the event again in December and plan to conduct a "top-to-bottom" review of the event's security, policies and procedures in an effort to increase safety and address other issues.

Copyright BAYCN - Bay City News
Contact Us