Carpenter wounded in Oakland school shooting dies

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A carpenter who was among six people shot in September by two gunmen who opened fire inside an Oakland school in a gang-related attack has died, school officials confirmed Friday.

David Sakurai, 64, died Thursday at a hospital where he had been since the Sept. 28 shooting at Rudsdale High School, the East Bay Times reported.

Authorities said an autopsy will determine if he died from gunshot wounds, a possible pre-existing medical condition, or both, the newspaper reported.

The Oakland Unified School District Superintendent’s Office confirmed Sakurai’s death in a statement Friday and said he worked for the district for 18 years. He was installing new countertops at the school the day of the school, the district said.

Sakurai and another school carpenter, a student counselor, a security guard, and two adult students were wounded after two suspects breached the school and immediately opened fire, police said. They said a third suspect drove a getaway car. No arrests have been made.

Rudsdale High School has a continuation program for 16- to 18-year-old students who are at risk of not graduating from a regular high school. It also has a newcomer program that serves recent immigrants ages 16-21 who have fled violence and instability in their home countries, according to the school’s website.

Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said the shooting was gang-related but declined to say which program the wounded students attended.