* Oakland: Jose Avila, 19 And A 16-Year Old Shot After A Car Sideshow Both In Serious Condition

Published by Staff Writer on July 21, 2009

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Two teenagers who were seriously wounded in shootings connected to a sideshow in East Oakland early Saturday remain hospitalized today, police spokesman Jeff Thomason said.Jose Avila, 19, walked into a local hospital about 3:24 a.m. Saturday after being shot at the intersection of 90th and Bancroft avenues a short time earlier, Thomason said.Avila remains in critical condition, he said today.At 4:07 a.m. Saturday, a police officer was flagged down at 35th Avenue and Foothill Boulevard by people who reported that a 16-year-old boy in their van had been shot, also at 90th and Bancroft avenues.The 16-year-old was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he remains in grave condition, Thomason said.He said the two shootings aren’t related except that they both happened during a sideshow. Sideshows are impromptu events in which crowds gather to watch cars race, spin “donuts” and perform other dangerous maneuvers on city streets.Deputy Police Chief Dave Kozicki told reporters at a meeting last week that the crowds that watch and participate in sideshows aren’t as large as they were several years ago but that today’s sideshows are punctuated by more violence, particularly gun violence.Anyone with information about the shootings is encouraged to call the Police Department’s homicide division at (510) 238-3821.