A man and a woman were found dead of gunshot wounds in an Oakland high-rise apartment just after midnight on Wednesday night, and the circumstances have not yet been explained.
Oakland marked its 121st and 122nd homicides last night, and they were a 23-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man. The pair were found in the woman's 33rd-story apartment in the 17th & Broadway luxury apartment complex (447 17th Street).
As the East Bay Times reports, the bodies were discovered at 12:10 a.m. Thursday and pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers were dispatched to the scene on a report of a shooting, as KPIX reports — and it's unclear if the shooting was only heard, or if someone else discovered the bodies first.
Police have not suggested this was a murder-suicide, and they are apparently investigating the killings as homicides. The victims will be publicly identified following notifications to their next of kin.
Oakland has had an especially violent 2021, and has already exceeded the 2020 homicide count in the city, which was 109. At this rate, with six weeks left in the year, the city may mark a 15% to 20% uptick in homicides before the year is out.
Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $20,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the killer. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.
This story will be updated as more information arrives.
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