After Toyota shooting in Albany, suspect and woman dead

Witnesses at the scene said the man delivered coffee to the woman Thursday morning and then returned to the business and killed her.

After Toyota shooting in Albany, suspect and woman dead
Police in Albany outside the Toyota service center on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Ariel Nava Photo

Update, 3:40 p.m. A woman working at a Toyota service center in Albany was killed by a man who opened fire at the business Thursday morning, authorities have confirmed.

The man was then killed during an exchange of gunfire with Berkeley police officers who responded to a request for help from Albany PD for reports of an active shooter at the business on Eastshore Highway, authorities said.

No one else was hurt and authorities said they do not know how the man and woman may have known each other.

The Berkeley Scanner was the first to report, at 1 p.m, that the shooter had been killed.

‘He just stared’: Albany Toyota shooter ‘didn’t say a word’
Authorities say the names of the deceased “will not be released until we have confirmed their identities and notified the families.”

The Toyota service center and Albany Target remain closed for the ongoing investigation.

Witnesses at the scene said the man delivered coffee to the woman Thursday morning and then returned to the business and killed her.

In a press conference at about 3:30 p.m., authorities said they could not confirm those details.

Update, 1:40 p.m. A man is dead after he opened fire Thursday morning at the Albany Toyota service center, police sources have confirmed to The Berkeley Scanner.

The condition of a civilian who was shot remains unknown.

Official details remain slim, but authorities did confirm that multiple Berkeley officers were involved in a police shooting at Albany Toyota, at 1025 Eastshore Highway, after the suspect opened fire at about 11:15 a.m.

Read more about the Albany shooting on The Scanner.

Berkeley officers, who were called to help Albany PD after the man showed up and started shooting, entered the building, found a victim and encountered the suspect, BPD said in a press briefing just after 1 p.m.

"An exchange of gunfire occurred," Officer Jessica Perry, BPD spokeswoman, told the media.

Perry said it remained to be determined whether Thursday's shooting at the Toyota service center was random or targeted.

Perry said the BPD officers who were involved in the shooting had been sequestered and that the Alameda County sheriff's office will handle the officer-involved shooting investigation, as per Albany PD's protocol.

Albany and Berkeley police will do their own investigations as well.

Perry said the area, including Albany Target, would remain closed for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing investigation.

Berkeley's last fatal police shooting took place in 2010 when BPD officers killed Choung Van Nguyen during a confrontation that began with a hit-and-run collision in Albany.

During that incident, Nguyen pulled a gun on police and opened fire on them after a chase that ended near the intersection of Eighth and Camelia streets in northwest Berkeley.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Update, 1 p.m. A man is dead after he opened fire Thursday morning at the Albany Toyota service center, police sources have confirmed to The Berkeley Scanner.

Berkeley police shot the man when they responded to secure the scene.

The suspect also shot a civilian, sources said. Their condition was unknown.

Stay tuned for updates.

Original story, 12:31 p.m. Authorities are asking community members to avoid the area near the Albany Target and nearby Toyota service center after reports of an active shooter situation Thursday morning.

The Berkeley Scanner has received unconfirmed reports that the shooter shot someone and may have shot himself or been shot by police at about 11:15 a.m.

Authorities are slated to give the first briefing to the press around 12:30 p.m.

This story was updated throughout the day due to the developing nature of events. Find ongoing updates on Twitter at @berkeleyscanner.

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