A gay Black man was killed Sunday morning near the Oakland Coliseum, according to Joe Hawkins, the co-founder and CEO of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center.
The news comes less than a week after police made an arrest in the stabbing death of another gay Black man, Curtis Marsh, a former member of the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus.
Oakland Police said they could not confirm the name of the latest victim until his next of kin is notified. That said, Oakland Police Department Public Information Officer Kim Armstead stated that the department is investigating "a shooting that occurred on March 12, 2023, just after 9 a.m., in the 8100 block of Baldwin Street. Upon officers' arrival, they located a victim who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds."
Emergency responders showed up to assist the victim, Armstead stated.
"The victim was then transported to an area hospital where they succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital," Armstead continued. "A homicide callout was initiated, and the investigators responded to begin the follow-up investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death."
Hawkins said a memorial will be held at the center, which is located at 3207 Lakeshore Avenue, at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 18.
In the Marsh case, police last week arrested Sweven Waterman, 38, of Oakland. Marsh, 53, had been stabbed in his home March 4 in the Adams Point neighborhood near Lake Merritt, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported.
Police said that so far their investigation in the Marsh case shows no evidence of a hate crime.
Marsh, also known as drag artist Touri Monroe, was a hair stylist and a Miss Gay Oakland emeritus. Originally from Iowa, friends described him as fun, helpful, and active in his church. A memorial was held March 11 at the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center where friends remembered Marsh.
Waterman is on leave from his job as a custodian with UC Berkeley, according to a spokesperson. He remains in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
The office of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, which declined to comment on the Marsh case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this latest case for this report as of press time.
As the latest homicide case is an ongoing investigation, anyone with information on the March 12 incident is asked to contact the Oakland police homicide section at 510-238-3821 or the tip line at 510-238-7950.
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