Oakland stabbing spree kills one, four injured in 30-minute attack
A knifeman killed one person and wounded four others across multiple Oakland locations in a 30-minute stabbing spree Monday night. A suspect was taken into custody near 39th Avenue.
One dead, four wounded in Oakland stabbing spree spanning multiple city blocks
A knifeman attacked five people across Oakland in roughly 30 minutes Monday evening, killing one and leaving two others in critical condition, NY Post Metro reports.
The first incident was reported just before 7:30 p.m. inside Cesar Chavez Park, in the 1800 block of 38th Avenue. Officers initially responded to reports of a shooting, but found a stabbing victim instead. Life-saving measures were performed at the scene; the victim was pronounced dead.
A second victim was located near 38th Avenue and San Leandro Street. While officers were investigating that attack, BART officers alerted them to a third stabbing victim near the Fruitvale BART station. Two additional victims were subsequently found near 39th Avenue and International Boulevard, bringing the total to five people attacked within the span of about 30 minutes.
Just before 8 p.m., community members directed officers to the 1500 block of 39th Avenue, between International Boulevard and East 18th Street, where police took a suspect into custody without incident. A weapon was recovered at the scene.
Of the four surviving victims, two remain in critical condition and two are listed as stable. The identity of the person who died has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
Oakland's Homicide Section is leading the investigation into the fatal stabbing. Detectives are working to determine what prompted the violence and whether the separate incidents are connected. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, and police have not said whether the suspect and the victims were known to each other.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the attacks, or who captured photos or video, to contact the Oakland Police Department.
The violence comes as Oakland continues to face persistent public safety concerns. The city has historically ranked among California's major cities with elevated rates of overall and violent crime, including assault, robbery and property theft. Violent crime and homicide figures did post significant double-digit declines through 2025 and into 2026, according to figures cited by NY Post Metro. Other California cities, including Stockton and San Bernardino, have also recorded high per-capita crime and homicide rates.
The Oakland Police Department has approximately 734 officers serving a city population of roughly 419,481 people.
Source: NY Post Metro