The city of Oakland is reeling after a 15-year-old student was shot at Skyline High School on Wednesday, and the next day a beloved former football coach was shot and killed at Laney College. On Saturday, at community events in West Oakland, residents spoke out about how the violence was impacting a city that, at times, has become desensitized to tragedy.

Shootings in Oakland had been on the decline lately. So, the news that Laney College football legend John Beam had died from a gunman's attack on Thursday sent shockwaves through the community.

"It's just gun violence everywhere. And it's so senseless. Why?" said Marie Davis from Berkeley. "What was your reason? Why? I was just devastated, really."

Davis was so sickened by the news that she turned in a small Derringer pistol at

See Full Page