Oakland Crime Crisis: Why Law and Order Must Prevail After Triple Homicide
The first weekend of 2026 brought a grim reminder that Oakland’s crime crisis is far from over. In the early morning hours of January 3rd, three men were gunned down inside an East Oakland market following an argument that turned deadly. The victims—aged 19, 22, and 54—became the city’s third, fourth, and fifth homicides of the year, just days into January. This senseless violence, coupled with other disturbing incidents including an 86-year-old woman allegedly shot by her 93-year-old husband in Fremont and a longtime Oakland educator charged with murder, underscores a fundamental truth that conservatives have long championed: without strong law enforcement, personal accountability, and a commitment to public safety, communities cannot thrive.
While Oakland has seen improvements in violent crime statistics over the past two years—with homicides down 21% year-over-year as of November 2025—the reality on the ground tells a more complex story. The triple homicide at Sky Market on International Boulevard demonstrates that despite statistical progress, Oakland residents still face unacceptable levels of violence. For conservatives who prioritize law and order as foundational to a functioning society, these incidents demand a clear-eyed examination of what works, what doesn’t, and what principles must guide our path forward.
The Sky Market Tragedy: When Arguments Turn Fatal
According to Oakland Police Department reports, the shooting occurred just after 3 a.m. on Saturday when approximately a dozen customers were inside Sky Market in the 8400 block of International Boulevard. An argument escalated into a physical confrontation, and at least one person produced a firearm and opened fire. Two men died at the scene; the 54-year-old victim succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
This incident encapsulates a disturbing pattern: disputes that in a healthy society would be resolved through words, or at worst fists, instead become execution-style killings. The conservative perspective asks the essential question: What has broken down in our culture and our enforcement systems that allows such rapid escalation to lethal violence?
The answer lies partly in the erosion of respect for law and order, insufficient consequences for violent offenders, and a cultural shift away from personal responsibility. When individuals believe they can settle disputes with guns rather than facing swift and certain justice, society descends into chaos.
A Troubling Pattern: The Educator Turned Alleged Killer
Perhaps even more disturbing is the case of Dwane Stewart, a 41-year-old longtime educator and sports coach with the Oakland Unified School District, who stands accused of murdering his close friend during a Fourth of July celebration in 2025. According to prosecutors, Stewart allegedly shot 37-year-old Tim Conover approximately 13 times, including multiple shots to the head, after a drunken altercation at a backyard party.
The case raises profound questions about background checks, school safety, and the individuals we entrust with our children’s education and development. Stewart’s supporters—including teachers, school administrators, and a principal who wrote a letter on school letterhead—described him as kind and good-natured. Yet prosecutors allege he stood over his helpless friend and executed him in cold blood.
Judge Michael Risher, in denying Stewart’s motion for release, captured the troubling nature of the case: “It appears that he decided, during several minutes of growing rage, to kill his close friend because of a fight they had had nearly a half-hour before; he then acted on this, shooting him repeatedly as he lay helpless on the ground.”
From a conservative standpoint, this case highlights the importance of personal responsibility and accountability. Character references and professional accomplishments cannot excuse or minimize violent criminal behavior. The rule of law must apply equally to everyone, regardless of their occupation or community standing. Moreover, this incident underscores concerns about who has access to our schools and whether adequate safeguards exist to protect children from potentially dangerous individuals.
The Fremont Tragedy: A Heartbreaking Domestic Incident
The January 3rd shooting of an 86-year-old woman, allegedly by her 93-year-old husband, represents a different but equally tragic dimension of violence. The husband reportedly called 911 himself, telling officers he had shot his spouse and wanted to turn himself in. When police arrived at a parking lot on Mowry Avenue around 12:20 a.m., they found the victim deceased in the passenger seat of their vehicle.
While details remain limited and the case is under investigation, this incident reminds us that domestic violence affects families across all demographics and ages. It also demonstrates the importance of community awareness and intervention systems that can identify at-risk situations before they turn deadly.
Why Law and Order Principles Matter More Than Ever
Despite Oakland’s statistical improvements—with violent crime down 25% year-over-year and robberies falling 42%—the city still experiences significantly higher crime rates than comparable mid-sized American cities. The conservative approach to addressing this persistent crisis rests on several foundational principles:
Strong Law Enforcement Support: Police officers are the thin blue line between order and chaos. Oakland has experienced police staffing shortages and budget constraints that hamper effective law enforcement. Conservative principles demand that we adequately fund, train, and support law enforcement professionals who risk their lives to protect communities. The 27% reduction in firearm assaults and 21% decrease in homicides didn’t happen by accident—they resulted from dedicated police work, strategic enforcement, and community cooperation.
Swift and Certain Justice: The criminal justice system must deliver consequences that are both proportionate and inevitable. When violent offenders believe they can avoid accountability through plea bargains, overcrowded courts, or lenient sentencing, deterrence fails. The Sky Market shooter remains at large—every day without an arrest is another day that justice is delayed and public safety compromised.
Personal Responsibility: Conservatives recognize that individuals must be held accountable for their choices. The argument inside Sky Market didn’t have to end in three deaths. Dwane Stewart didn’t have to allegedly execute his friend over a drunken dispute. Personal responsibility means acknowledging that we control our responses to conflict, anger, and disagreement. A society that excuses violence by pointing to systemic factors while ignoring individual agency cannot address its crime problems.
Community Standards and Values: Traditional values emphasizing respect for life, property, and the rule of law create the cultural foundation for safe communities. When these values erode—when violence is glorified in media, when disrespect for authority becomes normalized, when consequences are dismissed as “unfair”—crime inevitably rises.
The Path Forward: Conservative Solutions That Work
Oakland’s recent crime reductions prove that effective law enforcement strategies can work. However, conservatives understand that statistics don’t tell the whole story. Three families are now planning funerals instead of celebrating the new year. An elderly woman is dead under tragic circumstances. A father of two was killed at his own Independence Day celebration.
Real solutions require:
Robust Police Presence: Increased patrols in high-crime areas, rapid response times, and visible law enforcement presence deter crime and reassure law-abiding citizens.
Prosecution and Incarceration: District attorneys must prosecute violent offenders vigorously, and judges must impose sentences that reflect the severity of crimes and protect public safety.
Community Engagement: Law-abiding residents must partner with police, report crimes, serve as witnesses, and refuse to tolerate the “no snitching” culture that protects criminals at the expense of victims.
Second Amendment Rights: Responsible gun ownership allows law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families. The problem isn’t legal firearms in the hands of responsible owners—it’s illegal guns wielded by criminals who face insufficient consequences.
School Safety Vigilance: The Stewart case demands that school districts implement rigorous background checks, monitoring systems, and protocols to ensure that individuals with violent tendencies are identified and removed from positions of trust with children.
Family and Faith-Based Support: Strong families and faith communities provide the moral foundation, conflict resolution skills, and support networks that prevent violence. Government programs cannot replace these organic social structures.
Conclusion: Choosing Order Over Chaos
The triple homicide at Sky Market, the alleged murder by a trusted educator, and the tragic domestic shooting in Fremont all point to the same fundamental truth: law and order are not optional luxuries but essential prerequisites for a functioning society. Conservative principles recognize that freedom cannot exist without security, that rights come with responsibilities, and that justice requires both compassion and accountability.
Oakland’s statistical improvements deserve recognition, but they cannot obscure the reality that five families have already lost loved ones to violence in the first days of 2026. Every homicide represents not just a number but a person with inherent dignity, a family devastated by loss, and a community traumatized by violence.
The path forward requires rejecting failed progressive policies that prioritize criminals over victims, that defund rather than support police, and that excuse individual responsibility in favor of systemic blame. Instead, we must embrace time-tested conservative principles: strong law enforcement, swift justice, personal accountability, and cultural values that respect life and property.
Oakland can become the safe, thriving city its residents deserve—but only if we have the courage to demand law and order without apology, support those who enforce it without reservation, and hold individuals accountable for their actions without excuse.
Call to Action
The fight for safer communities begins with informed, engaged citizens. Stay updated on local crime statistics and law enforcement policies in your area. Attend city council meetings and demand accountability from elected officials who control public safety budgets and policies. Support organizations that back law enforcement and victims’ rights. If you witness criminal activity, report it—your testimony could prevent the next tragedy.
Share this article with friends, family, and neighbors who care about public safety. The conversation about law and order must move beyond political correctness to honest discussions about what actually works to protect communities. Our collective safety depends on citizens who refuse to accept violence as inevitable and who demand that leaders prioritize public safety over ideology.
Together, we can restore the law and order that makes freedom, prosperity, and community flourishing possible. The question is whether we have the will to do what’s necessary—before more lives are lost to preventable violence.
Sources:
- East Bay Times – Oakland Triple Shooting
- East Bay Times – Fremont Homicide
- Mercury News – Educator Murder Suspect
- Oaklandside – Crime Statistics
