TBS Today, Oct. 24

Today we broke the news about a man who was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Berkeley this morning.

Details remain slim, but he is the second person to have died in a Berkeley train fatality this month.

Man struck and killed by Amtrak train in Berkeley

He was the second person killed by an Amtrak train this month.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

We also have the backstory for you on the 2020 Glen Avenue homicide in the Berkeley Hills.

It took some doing, but we were able to track down some key court records that shed some light on what took place.

We've gotten many questions about this homicide over the years. Today's story addresses at least some of them.

Glen Avenue homicide wasn’t random, court papers show

In recent weeks, The Scanner was able to track down court records that shed some light on the 2020 homicide for the first time.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Over the weekend, we also updated our Berkeley shooting map in response to what turned out to be gunfire during a family dispute on California Street that broke out during a birthday celebration for a deceased relative.

No one was hurt, but it did alarm neighbors.

As of this week, Berkeley has had 29 shootings in 2023 with seven people wounded.

Berkeley shootings in 2023: The definitive gunfire map

As of Oct. 21, Berkeley has had 29 shootings in 2023 with seven people wounded. BPD also had a fatal police shooting in Albany.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Be sure to bookmark the TBS gunfire map for the most accurate, timely information about Berkeley shootings.

While other news sites publish Berkeley gunfire information, we've found it is routinely incorrect.

No response yet from BUSD on Friday's violence

As of today, the Berkeley Unified School District has still provided no information, or responded in any way, to our repeated inquiries about an off-campus incident during Spirit Week that reportedly sent a student to the hospital Friday.

Some parents told us that the injured student, who may have been a sophomore with a developmental disorder, was jumped by students when he tried to break up a fight.

We're disappointed that Berkeley Unified has failed to respond to our questions, particularly given the number of parents who contacted us with their concerns about what happened.

Berkeley High Spirit Day: Fights downtown, teenager hurt

One parent said the argument may have begun as a verbal dispute over egging and that the injured teen may have been punched in the head.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

We'll keep asking.

If you think BUSD should be more transparent about violence involving Berkeley students, consider emailing the district, the superintendent and the School Board to voice your concerns.

We'd also like to hear from you directly about your thoughts about the district's approach to information sharing about incidents of concern.

Just reply to this email to weigh in, or CC: TBS (editor@berkeleyscanner.com) if you email the district.

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