On the night of May 11, 2025—Mother’s Day—Janessa Nezbeth, 19, was shot in East Oakland and later died at a hospital. Police were called around 9:16 p.m. to the area of 17th Avenue near International Boulevard, where officers found the wounded teenager; her identity as Janessa Nezbeth, 19, was later confirmed publicly in subsequent reports memorializing the homicide.
Authorities noted the killing added to a weekend of citywide gun violence, with investigators pursuing leads while withholding further details in the immediate aftermath.
Investigators said the shots came from a slow-moving vehicle that pulled alongside Janessa Nezbeth, 19, as she stood on or near the sidewalk. She reportedly managed to call police before succumbing to her injuries at the hospital. At the time, police emphasized they were still gathering evidence and urged witnesses to come forward, as the street segment where the attack occurred sits off a busy corridor.
As of the most detailed public reporting available, no arrests had been announced in the killing of Janessa Nezbeth, 19, and police had not identified a suspect by name. Accounts referencing Oakland police statements describe the assailant as someone in a car that approached at low speed before the gunfire, but offer no confirmed description of the shooter. Memorial listings for Janessa Nezbeth, 19, continue to mark May 11, 2025, in Oakland, California, as the date and place of her death while the investigation remains open.
