Gilmer Lopez Perez was a 16-year-old student at Castlemont High School who was shot and killed on December 9, 2022, in East Oakland. Gilmer and a friend were shot near 68th and Bancroft avenues around 10:45 p.m.; the two managed to leave the scene in a van but ended up near 68th and Avenal avenues, close to Gilmer’s home. Gilmer died at the scene and his friend was hospitalized in critical condition.

Friends and family say they do not know whether Gilmer was specifically targeted or the victim of random violence. The Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong and the Oakland Unified School District spoke about the community’s grief. No arrests or suspects have been identified and the investigation remains open.

If anyone has information about what happened that night, please come forward to help Gilmer’s family seek answers.