East Oakland ‘Random’ Stabbing Spree Leaves 1 Dead, 4 Injured, Police Say

One man has died and four others were injured after a series of stabbings within 30 minutes of one another in East Oakland Monday night. 

The Oakland Police Department said one of the surviving victims is in critical condition, while the other three are stable. A suspect police believe is responsible for the spree is in custody.

Just before 7:30 p.m. Monday, police responded to a report of a shooting at Cesar Chavez Park, near the 1800 block of 38th Avenue. Officers determined that the victim had been stabbed, not shot, and administered aid before the person was declared dead on the scene. 

OPD located a second stabbing victim on 38th Ave and San Leandro Street, and BART police reported that a third victim was found near the Fruitvale transit station. 

Officers were notified of two more victims with stab wounds near 39th Ave and International Boulevard. 

Just before 8 p.m., OPD located a suspect nearby, on the 1500 block of 39th Ave, and took him into custody. The department has not released the identities of the suspect or victims, which include three men and two women in their thirties to fifties.

OPD Acting Capt. Gloria Beltran told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the stabbings appear to have been random. 

“We don’t have any connection with the suspect and the victims, but it’s still early on in the investigation,” she said. 

She said she believes that the suspect and multiple of the victims were unhoused. 

KQED’s Brian Krans contributed to this report.