Berkeley police are investigating two group assaults in downtown Berkeley on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, the last day of Berkeley High School's annual Unity Week. A 14-year-old autistic boy suffered a concussion on the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue, and hours later a Downtown Berkeley Association ambassador was beaten while cleaning up the mess.
Why it matters: Police said groups of up to 100 students gathered downtown that afternoon, caused disruptions, scattered when officers arrived and regrouped elsewhere. Parents are now pressing the school district and police to make the end of Unity Week safer.
The attack on Shattuck Avenue
At about 12:30 p.m., according to Berkeley police as reported by KTVU, a teenager aged 16 or 17 in a black ski mask approached the 14-year-old on the sidewalk and hit him repeatedly with a toy Nerf gun, then forced him to the ground and punched him. Other juveniles joined in, kicking the boy and throwing eggs, soda cans and Nerf pellets. Police confirmed the boy suffered a concussion.
Parents told the Berkeley Scanner, which first reported the attack, that about a dozen boys, some masked, were involved. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that police are looking for the teen accused of punching the boy while he was on the ground.
Ambassador attacked while cleaning
Around 4 p.m., a Downtown Berkeley Association ambassador was cleaning egg residue off a nearby sidewalk when a teen began firing toy projectiles at her, KTVU reported, citing police. When she asked them to stop, another teen took the toy gun and shot her in the face. She was forced to the ground, punched repeatedly and kicked in the face. Police said the main suspect is a girl aged 16 or 17. The worker had bruising to her face and neck.
Other incidents
Officers responded to multiple incidents involving students that afternoon and evening, police spokesperson Officer Byron White told the Chronicle. A Berkeley High mother told the Scanner that a female student was taken to the hospital after someone poured bleach on her. Police have not released details on that report.
KTVU reported that school officials had warned families ahead of time about unsafe behavior and banned items such as Nerf guns and eggs. The Chronicle notes that the Friday of Unity Week has, in past years, included seniors hazing underclassmen with eggs and fights, according to the student newspaper, the Berkeley High Jacket.
What police and the district say
"Violence and conduct that endangers others are unacceptable and do not reflect the values and expectations we hold for our students," Berkeley Unified said in a statement. The district said it is reviewing student involvement and its procedures. Police said they are working with Berkeley High to follow up and will refer students to juvenile probation when appropriate, and that they cannot share more because the cases involve minors.
Anyone with information can contact the Berkeley Police Department. The district's leadership is also on the Nov. 3 ballot; see our Berkeley school board election guide.