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Berkeley High Student Shot in Oakland is Recovering

By Scott Morris (BCN)
Friday February 24, 2012 - 07:40:00 AM

A Berkeley High School student shot on the streets of Oakland this morning has had surgery and is resting and recovering this afternoon, a Berkeley schools spokesman said. 

The 18-year-old student was shot while riding a bicycle at 8:18 a.m. on the 6300 block of Market Street, just south of the Berkeley border, police said.  

"Apparently the wounds are not life-threatening, they were in the lower body," Berkeley Unified School District spokesman Mark Coplan said. 

Coplan said that students at Berkeley High School are still grappling with the news that one of their classmates has been shot, and that it has affected the atmosphere at the school. 

"They're pretty upset, anytime any of their peers are in an accident or in this case shot they have a certain amount of angst," Coplan said. 

He said that public safety officers, administrators and teachers are watching the students closely, and that counselors are available to all students who may need to talk. 

"We're watching them closely to make sure that if anyone needs counseling they're given access," he said. 

He said they are also watching for warning signs that students may need help but are hesitant to ask for it. 

"If you watch carefully you might see some signs of a kid that may need some help but isn't asking for it," Coplan said. "That's really the sense of watching the kids and making sure they're OK mentally." 

Initial police reports indicated that two people may have been shooting at each other this morning, but no further details have been made available. One victim was found at the scene. 

The shooting was one of a string of five shootings in 12 hours between Wednesday night and Thursday morning that left four people injured, one critically.