Man Arrested for Shooting Gun Following New Year's Celebration

Following the New Year’s celebration, officers responded to the area of Brookside Drive and Arthur Avenue, after several witnesses called 9-1-1 to report that there was a man in the street, repeatedly shooting a handgun into the air.

As the first officer arrived in the area at 12:20 a.m., she encountered two men walking in the general vicinity of the shooting, one of which matched the description provided by witnesses. As she got out of her car and began to speak to the two men, the suspect, later identified as Karim Ludewig, a 22 year-old Oakland resident, began to walk away from her, concealing his hands in the front of his waistband. The officer ordered him to stop, but he disobeyed her commands, and instead, removed a high-caliber semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and threw it into the nearby bushes.

Ludewig then complied, and was taken into custody without incident.The handgun was recovered by police.

Officers determined that Ludewig had been attending a house party on Brookside Drive with others. 

Officers found several spent shell casings where the shooting occurred, which were the same caliber as the recovered handgun.

Ludewig has been booked on several felony charges, including the negligent discharge of a firearm in public and possession of a concealed firearm not registered to him.

Ludewig admitted to being a member of an Oakland-based street gang with criminal history including drug-related convictions.

Lt. Robert McManus stated, “The witnesses who called 9-1-1 when the shooting occurred are to be commended for taking a stance against violent crime in San Leandro. We are very fortunate that no one was injured in this incident.”

Ludewig will be arraigned in the Alameda Superior Court in Hayward later this week.

No other incidents of violent crime were reported during the New Year’s celebration in San Leandro.