Emeryville Amtrak Station Robbery / Shooting

[crescent-zephyr]

Haven't seen this posted yet... a chilling reminder to be on the lookout when traveling. Most of the regulars on here (myself included) have been in and out of this station several times over the years catching amtrak trains. While the areas around the Emeryville BART stations have felt pretty iffy... I've never felt personally concerned at Emeryville Amtrak station.

The second report says the shooting happened "near the intersection of 59th and Horton streets " - which is right in front of the station.

http://abc7news.com/software-engineer-shot-in-back-of-head-near-emeryville-amtrak/3115719/

https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Shooting-outside-Emeryville-Amtrak-station-leaves-12606913.php

 

[Lonestar648]

This is terrible!! It shows something like this could happen anywhere at any station. The shooter probably wanted money for his drug habit. They have no value of life or care for anyone on this earth.

Our prayers for the victim and his family.

 

[cpotisch]

This is terrible!! It shows something like this could happen anywhere at any station. The shooter probably wanted money for his drug habit. They have no value of life or care for anyone on this earth.

Our prayers for the victim and his family.

While this is most definitely a terrible incident, to say that the person must be a drug user or that they ‘have no value of life or care for anyone on this earth’ is a gross generalization.Just because someone uses drugs (which might not be the case here), does not mean they have no respect or care towards anyone in the world. This person clearly did a terrible thing, but please do not assume that the shooter must be an addict, and that all addicts are violent sociopaths.

To be clear though, my thoughts and prayers also go to Alex and his family.

 

[Charles785]

Is the Emeryville area in general considered a high crime area? I've certainly heard

that Oakland is, and my one experience at Amtrak Emveryville was a bit disquieting.

I came in from L.A. on the Coast Starlight, spent the night, then boarded the

eastbound California Zephyr the next morning.

My hotel that I could plainly see from the Amtrak station, was just across what I remember

as huge parking lot to the west of the Amtrak station and tracks. It was closer to walk to the

hotel than to take a taxi on the city street route.

Anyway, to get to the parking lot I had to cross the tracks with an elevated

pedestrian walk way. When the elevator door opened I was face to face

with three of the scariest and intimidating appearing gang bangers I'd ever seen up close.

(I was certainly very glad I didn't have my daughter or wife with me.)

There were threatening glances at me, but nothing happened.

The next morning in the light of day I noticed what appeared to be a

pretty solid police presence in front of the Amtrak station and really did

wonder if I was indeed in a high crime area.

 

[JoeBas]

I'm sorry, but if you consider the area around the Emeryville station to be a "high crime area", you've led a very sheltered life.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'm sorry, but if you consider the area around the Emeryville station to be a "high crime area", you've led a very sheltered life.

This!

 

[Maglev]

I'm sorry, but if you consider the area around the Emeryville station to be a "high crime area", you've led a very sheltered life.

I admittedly have led a very sheltered life. I have lived mostly on islands. I consider an area where there has been an armed robbery to be a "high-crime area." I am catching the northbound Starlight in Emeryville in May, and have booked a hotel room near the station where we can wait for the train. I plan on getting a Taxi to the station, even though it is a very short distance.

 

[cpotisch]

I'm sorry, but if you consider the area around the Emeryville station to be a "high crime area", you've led a very sheltered life.

I admittedly have led a very sheltered life. I have lived mostly on islands. I consider an area where there has been an armed robbery to be a "high-crime area." I am catching the northbound Starlight in Emeryville in May, and have booked a hotel room near the station where we can wait for the train. I plan on getting a Taxi to the station, even though it is a very short distance.

Almost every area has had a robbery at some point. A “high-crime area” means that the AREA has HIGH levels of CRIME. It doesn’t just mean that a crime has happened. One very bad incident does not make a town a high-crime area. It makes it an area where a crime occurred.

 

[Eric S]

I'm sorry, but if you consider the area around the Emeryville station to be a "high crime area", you've led a very sheltered life.

I admittedly have led a very sheltered life. I have lived mostly on islands. I consider an area where there has been an armed robbery to be a "high-crime area." I am catching the northbound Starlight in Emeryville in May, and have booked a hotel room near the station where we can wait for the train. I plan on getting a Taxi to the station, even though it is a very short distance.

Almost every area has had a robbery at some point. A “high-crime area” means that the AREA has HIGH levels of CRIME. It doesn’t just mean that a crime has happened. One very bad incident does not make a town a high-crime area. It makes it an area where a crime occurred.

Yep. Agree. A crime occurring does not equal high-crime area.

I don't think any Emeryville-area locals have chimed in yet, but in my experience (maybe half a dozen trips to/from EMY), the station area did not seem scary/risky/high-crime/threatening.

 

[Lonestar648]

I have always felt safe around the EMY station area, in fact most Amtrak station. This incident highlights our need as we travel to be vigilant of the areas we in, whether familiar or first time. Just letting your guard down may be a mistake and even then thing will and can happen. Unfortunately it is the world we live in today.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

I just traveled to Emeryville on the Zephyr. Stayed three nights at the Hyatt House Hotel just across that elevated walkway with elevators at both ends and then caught the northbound Coast Starlight to Seattle. I have stayed at this same Hyatt House Hotel many times and walk in the area to and from the Bay Street upscale shopping center and in the daytime I have walked along the coastal path along a peninsular just under the end of the Bay Bridge with good views of the bay and San Francisco. I have never felt any concern for my safety(and I am 76). There is a good free EmeryGoRound bus shuttle that takes you around the area and also to the McArthur Bart Station in Oakland. The Emeryville Bay Street shopping center is and upscale center with upscale stores(including Apple), restaurants(PF Chang's, Cheesecake Factory, Fuddruckers), and a multiscreen movie theater with one of the screens being an IMAX. On my recent visit I saw two movies and ate at Fuddrucker's and PF Chang's. Never felt unsafe.

 

[Maglev]

Just wanted to comment after staying at the Hyatt House (instead of farther from the station as I had originally booked) while we waited for the northbound Coast Starlight...

We felt safe in Emeryville, if not a bit vulnerable walking at night across the Hyatt parking lot to get to the elevators to cross the tracks. We did get a bad taxi from a restaurant back to the hotel (old vehicle with fumes) and had a homeless person camp out behind us on the benches at the station (we were waiting outside), but the area is generally up-scale.