‘Welcome to Antioch’: Business owner calls city the new Oakland after violent weekend
By Sara Stinson,
2024-09-23
ANTIOCH, Calif. ( KRON ) — A violent weekend in Antioch results in several shootings happening since Friday. The latest happened Sunday morning in a strip mall parking lot, leaving multiple people injured.
KRON4 spent the day speaking to residents and business owners who say they do not feel safe in their community.
The latest shooting in Antioch happened in the Rite Aid parking lot on E 18th Street right as businesses in this strip mall were opening up. A longtime business owner tells KRON4 if this gun violence continues, he’ll have to take his business elsewhere.
“I was working with one of my employees and we heard a gunshot, I didn’t think it was a gunshot, but then it was like boom, boom like six shots,” said Tony’s Bar and Grill owner Tony Loinab.
Loinab was getting ready to open his Antioch bar for NFL Sunday when he heard gunshots coming from the parking lot. They were heard around 9:20 a.m. near the Rite Aid.
“I look and I see police officers, ambulance, fire trucks. I walked over there. Apparently, a lady got shot and a young gentleman,” Loinab said.
Police have not released any information about who was shot, only saying multiple people were injured. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
Loinab has owned various businesses in Antioch since 1998. He says in the last five years shootings have become all too common.
“Welcome to Antioch,” Loinab said. “Now Antioch is old Oakland… In one week over 200 shots in Antioch, how many people got shot? Three or four? In one week — not in one year, one week!”
There was another shooting about a mile away Saturday night on Sycamore Drive and L Street. Police say no one got hurt, but buildings were struck by bullets.
That shooting happened right near a strip mall called Sycamore Square.
Shootings happen so often to the point of most people KRON4 have talked to say “which shooting are you talking about?”
“The city doesn’t do anything,” Loinab said. “The police department doesn’t do anything, city council doesn’t do anything, the city manager doesn’t do anything.”
On Friday, police were on the scene of another shooting that killed a man . It happened on Cavalla Road and Sunset Drive around 12:30 p.m. Investigators released a photo of a GMC Sierra pickup truck, saying it may be the suspected shooter. Anyone with information is asked to call police.
Meanwhile, Loinab says all this violence has an immediate effect on small businesses like his.
“I mean look at this (empty bar. It’s) Sunday football. Raiders playing, Niners playing,” Loinab said. “I have six customers. This bar should be packed. And people are afraid honestly. We put our hard-earned money in. We don’t get any appreciation, no help whatsoever.”
KRON4 reached out to the mayor, a mayoral candidate, and the police department, but we did not hear back in time for this report.
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anyone surprised. the Mayor is a self serving liberal asshole
david wade
09-24
Antioch isn't the new oakland .....Vallejo an fairfield us also most of california is bad but comparing it to oakland naw oakland is way worse the entire city of oakland is BAD
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