An arrest was made within 30 hours of a Sunday morning shooting near Lake Merritt in Oakland, and the suspect has a known history of violence.
A tragic scene unfolded Sunday just before noon, near the county courthouse by Lake Merritt, when a 61-year-old man was shot while driving his minivan, and he drove on for another half mile with a fatal gunshot wound before crashing the car in a motel parking lot. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
We now know that the victim was Michael Seymour, and Oakland police say that the shooting was unprovoked — it remains unclear if Seymour and the suspect knew each other.
The suspect has been identified as 43-year-old Justin Jenkins.
"Following the homicide, patrol officers conducted a thorough preliminary investigation and recovered valuable evidence at the crime scene," the OPD says in a news release. "Through investigative follow-up, officers identified Jenkins as the primary suspect in the homicide."
The police department says it was able to make the arrest of Jenkins within 30 hours of the crime, on Monday evening.
Alameda County prosecutors say that Jenkins is a felon who has a "long history of gun violence," and upon his arrest, police found him in possession of a firearm — the 9mm handgun pictured above.
The DA's office has now filed murder charges against Jenkins, as well as charges of shooting into an occupied vehicle, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
"Gun violence, especially senseless violence involving motorists, is totally unacceptable in our community," said District Attorney Pamela Price in a separate release. "Our prosecutors reviewed the evidence in this case and filed the appropriate charges in our pursuit of justice for Mr. Seymour and his family. I commend the Oakland police officers for their swift and thorough investigation and prompt arrest of the alleged shooter."
This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the OPD Homicide Section at 510-238-3821 or the tip line at 510-238-7950.
Previously: 61-Year-Old Man Fatally Shot While Driving Minivan By Oakland's Lake Merritt