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Shooting Outside Caldecott Tunnel Closes Right Bore on Eastbound Highway 24

ORINDA (CBS SF) -- A shooting just outside the Caldecott Tunnel Thursday afternoon involved two cars that had been racing across the Bay Bridge, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol said the shooting happened around 4 p.m. along eastbound Highway 24 just before the right bore.

Caldecott Tunnel shooting
CHP units surround a silver sedan along eastbound Highway 24 just west of the Caldecott Tunnel, September 16, 2021. (CBS)

The incident started with a BMW and an Infiniti racing across the Bay Bridge and someone in the BMW allegedly shot into the Infiniti, the CHP said.

On radio traffic between officers and dispatch captured the urgency of the moment.

"The party in the black Infinity advised he stopped and talked to an officer on the toll plaza. He's advising the grey BMW sedan is chasing him again, although now in the Oakland area."

Police dispatchers telling officers just a few minutes later that the suspect has opened fire.

"He said he's eastbound 24 near the tunnel and he's hearing gunshots. The dispatcher who is taking the call, she heard the gunshots also."

It did not appear that anyone was hit.

The incident forced the CHP to close the right bore of the tunnel for almost three hours Thursday afternoon, causing traffic to back up for miles.

Drivers said their commute times more than doubled due to all the traffic.

"To the tunnel from work, it will take me 7-10 minutes and today it took me like 25-30 minutes," said Esther Centeno.

The experience was the same for Julie Campbell.

"Could take between 25 and 45 minutes and I think it took me an hour and a half," she said.

CHP officials told KPIX that an investigation is ongoing and they hope to release more information sometime Friday.

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