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Oakland education sector, friend grieve after community leader murdered in home invasion

2 mins read

Oakland teachers, city officials and a close friend are beginning to voice their responses to the pointless killing of Dirk Tillotson.

“Handling grief is difficult. There’s no right way to do it. But as Dirk would always say it’s really important to take care of ourselves before we take care of others,” Tillotson’s close friend Paul Le, who is among the people who start to grieve for his passing, said.

Apart from being a close acquaintance, Le is also Tillotson’s public equity building partner.

Tillotson, an attorney, was killed after a shooting during a home intrusion in his home in Maxwell Park in Oakland, police said.

The victim has served more than 20 years establishing education institutions nationwide with focus on working hand in hand and advocating for neglected communities.

Le shared how he took the news of Tillotson’s passing.

“My heart sank because the first things you think about is how senseless it is to lose someone who had so much for the world and the Oakland community. It’s heartbreaking.”

Along with his family, Tillotson resides in Loren Taylor’s District in East Oakland.

His friend, Le, said that it means something to push forward Tillotson’s work for equality in accessing public education, aside from grieving his loss.

The Oakland Unified School District is also grieving Tillotson’s passing, KRON4 reported.

“Dirk Tillotson was a fierce advocate for the education of Oakland’s young people, and he was dedicated to the betterment of our world in everything he did. He will be deeply missed by our district community, but we know the mark he left on it will support our students for years to come,” according to Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell.