Beloved teacher and a father killed in shooting at bar in Oakland, California | California
A 33-year-old teacher and a 25-year-old father were identified as the two people killed in a mass shooting at an Oakland, California, bar over the weekend.
Seven people were shot in the incident at EZ’s Lounge on early Saturday morning. Police identified the two deadly victims on Monday as Latetia Bobo and Markise Martin.
Bobo, an artist and educator who taught eighth-grade English language arts, was remembered by Caliber public schools as a “special part of our community, deeply cherished by her students, their families, and her colleagues”.
“She was an incredible educator and an even more incredible human being who truly valued relationships and community,” the school district said in a statement. “Her presence brought unmistakeable light to our campus, and she will be deeply missed by all of us.”
In a GoFundMe, Martin’s family described him as a “loving son, a devoted father to his one-year-old daughter, and a kind, protective brother”.
“He was always there for his family when needed, offering support and love without hesitation. His presence brought comfort and strength to those around him, and he was truly such a caring soul underneath his tough exterior,” the family said.
The shooting took place just after 3.30am and sent a crowd of people fleeing.
“I didn’t even hear the gun shots, I just heard like 100 people running,” a local tattoo artist named Kuzi told KTVU. “There were a lot of people crying, screaming, the whole street was blocked off.”
The Oakland police department said in a statement that officers responding to the shooting found seven people who had been injured by gunfire. Bobo died on scene, while Martin died in the hospital later that morning. The other victims are in stable condition, police said.
“Officers detained multiple individuals at the scene and recovered several firearms,” the police statement said. “Investigators from the OPD homicide division are conducting a follow-up investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.”
Police have not yet released information about the circumstances that led to the shooting.
The violence sparked an outpouring of grief from friends, family and parents of Bobo’s current and former students.
“I’m angry. Not that anyone ever deserves it, but she definitely didn’t deserve it,” Robin DeGracia, who had two children Bobo taught, told CBS San Francisco. “She was just talking about her fiance, and now she’s gone.”
The shooting comes after Oakland saw its lowest homicide rate in nearly 50 years in 2025. With 67 homicides reported in 2025, homicides in the city dropped by 22% from 2024. Oakland leaders pointed to its violence prevention strategies, including Operation Ceasefire, a collaboration between law enforcement and community organizations that identifies people at the highest risk of gun violence and offers them social services and support.
Carroll Fife, an Oakland city council member, lamented the recent violence and said the city will not tolerate it. “It’s tragic,” she said in a video shared on social media. “Oakland deserves to have venues where people don’t have to worry whether they’re going to come home or not.”
