Six wounded by stray bullets during Fourth of July fireworks in U.S. Oakland

SAN FRANCISCO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Oakland police confirmed that six persons were injured by stray bullets possibly from gunfire outside the ballpark Coliseum during the Fourth of July fireworks show, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday.

People had gathered on the field to watch fireworks at the moment bullets sprayed down, hitting people with a relatively low terminal velocity. Three victims sought medical treatment right away. The rest three injured went to the hospital or called the police afterward, the report said.

Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said at least some of the bullets came from a high-powered rifle, adding that bursts of "celebratory" gunshots were a longstanding problem in the city.

"What we really are going to rely on is communities coming forth with information to help us better understand who was firing rifles in the proximity around the Coliseum," he noted. "We know that there was a lot of gunfire in the city, but we're hoping that somebody can help lead us to that individual."

According to Armstrong, police have begun a ballistics analysis by matching the bullet fragments to types of firearms.