14-year-old boy shot dead in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood

Davon Ellis, 14, was shot and killed in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood on Feb. 28, 2015. Davon Ellis, 14, was shot and killed in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood on Feb. 28, 2015. Photo: Henry K. Lee Photo: Henry K. Lee Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close 14-year-old boy shot dead in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood, authorities said Sunday.

Davon Ellis was walking with friends when he was shot on the 3300 block of Brookdale Avenue, east of Coolidge Avenue, at 7:52 p.m. Saturday.

Police and paramedics performed CPR on Davon, but he died at a hospital.

“At this time, it is unknown what led up to the shooting, and no arrests have been made,” said Officer Johnna Watson, an Oakland police spokeswoman.

In a statement, Police Chief Sean Whent said, “All violent crime is tragic, but when the victim is a child, it is even more so. The members of my department and I are committed to the safety of everyone in our community, especially our children.” The chief vowed to “do all that is possible to identify and arrest the person responsible for this tragic crime.”

Counselors will be on hand Monday at Oakland Technical High School, where Davon was a ninth-grader. Principal Staci Ross-Morrison described him as a “very nice young man,” said Troy Flint, Oakland Unified School District spokesman.

“She was surprised that he would be the target of violence and can’t understand why he would be involved, not that anybody deserves to die in that manner,” Flint said.

“It is especially galling when you have a young student who was just really entering their prime and has been robbed of that opportunity because of the continuing violence that plagues our city,” Flint said. “We are committed to working with the Police Department and community members to hopefully find who is responsible for this murder.”

On Sunday, a memorial of candles and flowers sat on the spot where he fell.

At least two rounds shattered the rear window of a car parked on the street.

The car’s owner, who didn’t want her name used, said she was inside her house when she heard two loud pops.

“Everybody else said five rounds,” she said. “He’s a little young kid. Right outside my house. I was inside trying to make sure my son was OK.”

As she spoke, a man worked to repair her damaged car. That man, who also didn’t want to be named, said he is a military veteran and that based on the trajectory, he believed that the shooter had fired a 9mm semiautomatic handgun from a vehicle.

Henry K. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: hlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @henryklee