Participants in a Juneteenth celebration over the weekend in Oakland, California, were seen on social media videos grinding, climbing, and dancing on an ambulance that was responding to a deadly shooting.
In the video, shared widely across multiple social media platforms over the last few days, several people can be seen dancing up against the ambulance, and at one point, a man climbed on top of it and started throwing a football.
Shooting at Oakland CA Juneteenth celebrations last night, leave 1 dead and 5 injured. This is how people reacted when the EMTs arrived. pic.twitter.com/AcFPciJuzq
— Anthea (@Anthea06274890) June 21, 2021
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The celebration happened as medics in the ambulance were responding to a nearby shooting that killed a 22-year-old man and injured six others.
“All I saw was the gunshot. It was like, ‘pop! pop! pop!’” an unnamed witness said. “After they shot the people, the bullets hit the ground 5 feet away from me. I was like, ‘Oh, my f***ing God,’ excuse my language.”
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf released a statement condemning the violence.
“Tonight a joyous occasion at our Lake Merritt was marred by a senseless act of gun violence,” Schaaf said. “Police in the area tended to victims, and apprehended two people with firearms near the scene. The investigation is ongoing and will determine if they are connected to the shooting. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims, and I want to thank our officers for a quick response.”
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Violence erupted at several other Juneteenth celebrations across the country, including in Michigan, where a woman was shot by police after they say she opened fire on them first. In Raleigh, North Carolina, an EMS worker was shot during a Juneteenth celebration, and four people were arrested in New Jersey after a riot broke out at another party.
Juneteenth, commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States, is now a federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday that gave federal workers the day off on Friday.
“Throughout history, Juneteenth has been known by many names: Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day, and today, a national holiday,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at the signing.
“We are gathered here in a house built by enslaved people. We are footsteps away from where President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation,” she added. “We have come far, and we have far to go. But today is a day of celebration. It is not only a day of pride. It’s also a day for us to reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to action.”
