Seventeen-year-old Kenny Houff was fatally shot in East Oakland on August 2, 2024, just after 6 p.m. Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert found Kenny on Garfield Avenue with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother said Kenny had been visiting a family friend and became involved in an argument with someone he knew outside the home that escalated into the shooting.

Kenny was a student at Berkeley Technology Academy, preparing to start his senior year. Described by family and school staff as quiet, intelligent, caring, and close to his family, he enjoyed football and cars and hoped to become an auto mechanic or pilot. The Berkeley school community dedicated the wellness center to him as students and counselors mourn.

No arrests have been announced and the Oakland Police Department’s Homicide Section is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department or its tip line. If readers knew Kenny or have information that could help the investigation, please share what you know.