ARTICLE UPDATE – 11/17/25:
Oakland Police said the two juvenile suspects charged in a shooting Wednesday at Skyline High School had ghost guns.
Ghost guns, sometimes referred to as privately made firearms (PMFs), are homemade firearms assembled by someone other than a licensed manufacturer. The parts are either sold together in a kit or separately to create a fully functioning firearm. Downloadable kits can also be bought online and can be made using 3D printers.
From 2016 to 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) received around 45,000 reports of suspected PMFs that were used in crimes, including 692 homicides or attempted homicides.
Oakland Police Assistant Chief James Beere said that the 15-year-old shooting victim is recovering and “in good spirits,” The Oaklandside reports. Beere also said officers got to the campus within two minutes and were able to provide life-saving medical assistance until paramedics arrived.
“I want to take a moment to acknowledge the strong coordination between Skyline High School staff and our officers,” he continued. “The prompt coordination and cooperation assured the safety for all students on campus, allowing our officers to respond swiftly and effectively.”
This is the third time this school year that Skyline has gone into lockdown. Students were sent into secure protocol on Sept. 26 when Oakland Police responded to a report of a student on campus with a firearm. The report was determined to be false. Students were again sent into secure protocol on Nov. 4 while the school’s security team removed an angry parent from campus.
This is also the third shooting at the school since Sept. 2023.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE – 11/13/25:
OAKLAND, Calif. — A student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School on Wednesday and two people in are in custody.
Oakland Police said the shooting happened just after 1:30 p.m. inside a school bathroom, ABC 7 reports. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where they are listed in stable condition. Authorities have not said if the two suspects, both juveniles, are students at the school. Two firearms were also recovered by police.
While school was not in session at the time of the shooting as it was an early dismissal day, some students remained on campus.
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“He sheltered in place in a teacher’s classroom,” Michelle Edmonds said of her son, who is a junior at the school. “When that happened, he didn’t know what was happening, he had no awareness of what was happening. And actually, that’s good, because then there’s no fear. You don’t know if it was someone who called in a prank. You don’t know if something’s really happening. You know, you’re being sheltered in place and kept safe.”
Normal operations resumed Thursday with increased personnel.
“We’ll have additional staff here for security purposes. Behavioral health purposes. This is going to be a safe campus,” said John Sasaki, director of communications for the Oakland Unified School District.
Third Shooting at Skyline High School Since 2023
This is the third shooting at Skyline High School in just over two years. In Sept. 2023, the school was placed in lockdown after reports of shots fired near the campus’ theater area, Campus Safety previously reported. No one was injured but a gun was recovered. Three juveniles were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting.
Following the incident, parent Malana Weems told ABC7 she wants the district, which has 20 high schools, to provide more information about what it is doing to keep students safe.
“My kids aren’t coming to school the rest of this week, and if I don’t find out what really happened, they won’t be coming back next week either,” she said. “They need to do something about this. This school is too wide open and these kids are not safe.”
RELATED: 4 Interventions for Campus Violence Prevention
In May 2024, gunfire erupted during a graduation ceremony at the school. Three people were shot but all survived. The incident stemmed from a dispute in the parking lot. Two people were detained.
Also in 2023, a student was stabbed by another student at the school. The 14-year-old victim suffered multiple stab wounds and underwent surgery for serious injuries. The suspect was 15.
Additional Oakland schools have experienced significant violence in recent years. On July 31, 2022, three people, including a child, were shot during a youth football game at Oakland Tech High School. Less than a month later, a 13-year-old boy was shot by a fellow classmate at Madison Park Academy. A month later, six adults, including two students, were shot at East Oakland’s King Estates School Complex. One of the victims died several months later.
