After just over a week of investigation, BART police have determined that the January 9 shooting aboard a crowded BART train was not, after all, a random act of violence. Instead, police have confirmed that the victim and the suspected shooter had some sort of interaction on a bus before even boarding BART.
BART spokesperson Alicia Trost told the Chronicle that the most recently released photos of the suspect (one of which is pictured above) are from a Tri Delta Bus, and that it was aboard that bus that the victim and suspect first had some sort of "interaction."
“We know they were on the same bus. There was an interaction between the suspect and the victim that carried over into the BART system,” explained Trost. “Investigators are pulling all video from the bus, and officers are talking to passengers, trying to find additional witnesses.”
The victim has been identified as 19-year-old Carlos Misael Funez-Romero, a resident of Antioch. Funez-Romero was shot as the train approached the West Oakland BART station, and the gunman apparently fled immediately thereafter.
The exact circumstances preceding the killing remain unknown, as BART police do not appear to have footage of the shooting itself. BART Police Chief Kenton W. Rainey has as of yet refused to say whether the cameras aboard the train in question were real or merely decoys, and recent reporting has suggested that a majority of the cameras are in fact fake — the purpose being a vandalism deterrent, as opposed to providing actual assistance with investigations.
New train cars, which are expected to start being phased into the BART system sometime next year, will apparently have working video cameras.
Anyone who knows the identity of the suspected shooter can call an anonymous tips line at 510-464-7011.
Previously: BART Shooting Victim ID'd As Police Release More Suspect Photos
Police Release Photos Of BART Shooting Suspect, Say It Could Have Been Random After All
Shooting Aboard BART In West Oakland Was Not Random, Suspect Still At Large
Man Shot And Killed On BART At West Oakland Station
