Film crew robbed at gunpoint in downtown Oakland

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http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/07/19/film-crew-robbed-at-gunpoint-in-downtown-oakland/

Four members of a crew filming a television reality show in downtown Oakland were robbed at gunpoint Monday night of $50,000 worth of equipment and personal items, according to a victim and authorities.

The head of the crew said he was thrown up against a wall and that he and the other victims were forced to lay on the pavement, where the two robbers put guns to their heads and threatened them

Chris Burns, 37, an independent director of photography for the AwesomenessTV production “This Is Summer,” a reality show that follows eight 17-year-olds growing up in the Bay Area, said Wednesday the robbery “was really, really scary. It’s the most terrifying robbery I’ve ever been a part of.”

Burns, who lives in the Bay Area, said the robbery has prompted Awesomeness officials to decide they won’t film again in Oakland and that wherever they do film there will be either armed private security or police.

No security was present when the robbery happened about 10:15 p.m. Monday in a parking lot next to Mountain Mike’s Pizza, 1830 Webster St., where the crew had just wrapped up filming.