Former Marine Gunned Down On Oakland Street
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- A 23-year-old former Marine was shot and killed in East Oakland on Monday evening, police said Tuesday.
Police responded to an alert from the department's ShotSpotter gunfire detection system at 7:20 p.m. in the 2600 block of Humboldt Avenue, in the Peralta Creek area.
They found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene and has been identified as Kristopher Killian, an Oakland resident, police said.
Police have not disclosed a possible motive or identified any suspects in the shooting.
Killian was a former U.S. Marine and attended Hayward High School. He had enrolled in college earlier this year but dropped his classes after getting news that his father has cancer, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his sister.
"My brother dropped his classes and became the helper to our mom, who also takes care of our grandma who has cancer," his sister wrote.
Friend Breana Eddens is holding on to all she has left of the 23-year-old: his military dog tags, his slippers and her memories of the time she spent with him.
"We almost got married because of him being in the Marines," said Eddens. "He was kindhearted. He cared about everyone's feelings."
Police said Killian was visiting friends in the East Oakland neighborhood when he was killed. Investigators have not released a motive.
"It was completely random. I think he as in the wrong place wrong time," said Eddens. "For those who think this was gang involved or he was involved in a gang, he wasn't. He was not that type. He was never involved in anything like that. Not even fighting, besides fighting for his country."
As of Tuesday morning, the family had received $1,560 through the fundraiser. It is available at https://www.gofundme.com/f8-funeral-services-4-my-baby-brother.
Oakland police have asked anyone with information about the case to contact homicide investigators at (510) 238-3821.
The slaying marks the city's 83rd homicide of the year.
