SWAT team raids suspected illegal Oakland gambling den after shooting

A police SWAT team stormed a suspected illegal gambling parlor near Interstate 880 in Oakland Wednesday following a shooting there and a six-hour standoff with several people holed up inside, officials and neighbors said.

Officers showed up shortly after 3 a.m. to the converted warehouse space at 1530 E. 12th St., where gunfire erupted during an apparent all-night party.

About a dozen people came out with their hands up, including one victim, who appeared to be limping with the assistance of others. But several people inside stayed put for hours, prompting the temporary stalemate with armed police.

Oakland Police are in a standoff on East 12th Street, where a suspect remains hold up following an shooting Wednesday morning at an illegal gambling parlor. Oakland Police are in a standoff on East 12th Street, where a suspect remains hold up following an shooting Wednesday morning at an illegal gambling parlor. Photo: Evan Sernoffsky / The Chronicle / / Photo: Evan Sernoffsky / The Chronicle / / Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close SWAT team raids suspected illegal Oakland gambling den after shooting 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

“We know you are inside. Can you please call 911 so we can communicate with you?” SWAT team members said over a loudspeaker aimed at the building, while heavily armed and camouflaged officers took cover behind an armored police vehicle.

Just after 8 a.m., a man and woman emerged from the building with their hands up and were questioned by police before being released.

An hour later, SWAT team members entered the building with their guns drawn and began a room-to-room search. They emerged soon afterward, and officials said a shotgun and a replica handgun were recovered inside.

The injured victim was taken to a hospital, treated and released. Police said two suspects in the shooting were taken into custody.

The building is in an industrial part of the city, halfway between the Lake Merritt and Fruitvale BART stations near International Boulevard. Residents in the area described the repurposed building, which includes several small rooms and a recording studio, as a “wild place” that allegedly houses recently installed illegal slot machines.

“It was bound to happen,” said one resident, who asked not to be identified, of the shooting and subsequent standoff. “They got all kinds of s— going on in there.”

Officer Johnna Watson, an Oakland Police spokeswoman, said beat officers have previously responded to complaints at the building, but she could not immediately give details of why they were called there.

Wednesday’s predawn shooting came during a party inside the building that attracted a large crowd, local residents said.

“People were high out of their minds,” another resident, who also asked not to be named, said of the soiree.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com