Man fires gun at driver amid Berkeley carjacking attempt

A man fired a gun at a delivery driver during a carjacking attempt in northwest Berkeley on Friday night, authorities report.

The driver who fled was lucky to be alive, police said.

The incident began Friday shortly after 9:30 p.m., Berkeley police said.

Witnesses told police they heard arguing and a vehicle speeding away as well as the sound of gunfire near San Pablo Avenue and Jones Street in northwest Berkeley.

Responding officers were able to speak to the victim, who had called 911 after driving to a safe location on Durant Avenue near UC Berkeley.

He told police he was a delivery driver who had been arranging packages in his backseat when someone tried to rob him of his backpack as he stood outside the vehicle.

The driver was able to convince the robber to take his car instead of his backpack, police said.

Then he got into his car, saying he needed to get his keys. Instead, he sped off, police said.

That's when the would-be carjacker opened fire into the driver's side window, shattering it.

The driver managed to escape without injury and the suspect fled on foot, police said.

No arrests were made and the investigation is ongoing.

Read more about shootings in Berkeley.

There have been more than 30 shootings in Berkeley this year with seven people wounded.

That's fewer shootings than there had been last year, when Berkeley and many other places continued to see an unusual uptick in gun violence that had begun during the COVID pandemic.

Unlike shootings, carjackings and robberies are up significantly in Berkeley this year.

There have been about 36 carjackings in Berkeley this year, compared to 14 over the same period last year.

Robberies overall are up 30% in 2023, from 278 in 2022 to 362 this year, according to the latest available BPD data.