Bullets Fly at Ashby Flea Market – Man Seriously Injured

A man was shot in an apparent gun battle at the Ashby BART Station Flea Market late Sunday afternoon, according to BART police.

Bullets apparently also hit a nearby residence, business and car on the street, according to police.

Both BART police and Berkeley police began receiving multiple calls of a shooting around 5:54 p.m. just as the weekend flea market vendors in the station parking lot were packing up, said BART Police Lt. Steve Coontz.

When police arrived, no victims could be located, but police later learned that a 21-year-old male victim had arrived at Alta Bates Hospital with a gunshot wound, Coontz said.

The wounded man was initially reported as having life-threatening injuries, but he was later upgraded to stable and was able to speak with police, Coontz said.

However, the victim was "not terribly cooperative," Coontz said. The man was transported to Highland Hospital to receive more specialized care for gunshot injuries, Coontz said.

At the same time, police received conflicting witness reports about the shooter, apparently a male, Coontz said.

"There were at least two people we believe were firing at each other," he said.

The shooting took place in the parking lot near the intersection of Ashby Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, he said.

Coontz said "several" shots were fired and that no one else was wounded but that bullets apparently struck a residence, a business and a car on the street.

Coontz said police did not know the motive and that the shooting remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident can call the anonymous tip line at 510-464-7011 or report to a detective at 510-464-7040.

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