2 suspects killed in 'gun battle' with Oakland pawn shop owner after attempted robbery
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Two robbery suspects are now dead, and three others are injured after the employees at a store they tried to rob fired back.
Oakland police said the "exchange of gunfire" happened on Wednesday around 7:45 p.m. at Eddy Cash for Gold on the 7100 block of International Boulevard, about 15 minutes after the shop usually closes.
Oakland police say five masked suspects from Stockton, some armed, entered the store and began assaulting employees. That's when a gun battle erupted.
VIDEO: OPD gives update on attempted robbery at pawn shop
One employee was injured. Two suspects died from gunshot wounds, one at the scene, the other at a hospital. The remaining three suspects were injured, taken into custody and charged with murder and attempted robbery under California's felony murder rule. Police said of the five suspects, one was a 17-year-old.
"We believe their compatriots are responsible for those deaths and therefore booked on homicide charges," said Oakland Deputy Chief Nick Longe.
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Police say both employees were armed and returned fire. Investigators are still working to determine who fired first and whether the employees were legally authorized to carry firearms.
"Right now, we're still early in our investigation. That's gonna take time to determine who shot first in regard to who pulled out the guns first," said Chief Floyd Mitchell.
The incident came just hours after a smash-and-grab robbery attempt at a jewelry store in Milpitas, where someone inside the store also opened fire as suspects fled. Oakland police say they're not sure if the two cases are connected.
A few days prior, an 88-year-old jewelry store owner in San Jose was assaulted during a brazen heist.
"We don't want our community to become vigilantes," Mitchell said. "But you have a situation where employees were conducting business, and five masked, armed subjects came in and attempted to rob them. They defended themselves."
VIDEO: Suspects smash front of Milpitas jewelry store before being scared off by owner
The shooting follows two other fatal incidents in Oakland over the weekend. On Sept. 6, 19-year-old Israel Miller was killed on the 500 block of 18th Street. Around the same time, John "Mica" Esquibell was fatally shot on the 500 block of 17th Street. Police say both cases remain under investigation.
Despite the recent violence, police say overall crime in Oakland is trending downward.
"You're going to have these incidents we've experienced over the last couple weeks," Mitchell said. "But when you look collectively over the last 18 months, almost two years, you're looking at double-digit reductions in violent crime across the city."
Mayor Barbara Lee responded to the incident in a statement to ABC7 News, saying: "Last night's attempted robbery at the Cash 4 Gold store by suspects from outside Oakland that resulted in two deaths and four injuries is tragic, unacceptable and outrageous. Oakland Police have confirmed that all five suspects involved in this incident were from outside our city. While this tragic event highlights the broader regional challenges we face, it also underscores our commitment to protecting Oakland's residents, workers, and business owners who deserve to be safe and feel safe in their own community. We remain committed to our public safety investments and working around the clock with law enforcement and community partners."
