A 40-year-old man is charged with shooting and killing three people at the Sky Market corner store in Oakland's Woodland neighborhood, and the whole dispute was apparently an illicit marijuana deal gone wrong.
When everyone returned to work after the New Year’s Day holiday, we noted that there had been two separate homicides on New Year’s Day in Oakland. That pattern regrettably continued into the new year, as three people were shot and killed on January 3 in East Oakland, at 3 am at the Sky Market corner store at 85th Avenue and International Boulevard.
But the Oakland Police Department finally has their suspect in that one, as KTVU reports that the OPD has arrested 40-year-old Darrell Tatmon. Tatmon is charged with three counts of murder, and could potentially face life in prison with enhancements.
The shooting spree took the lives of brothers Luis Valdez-Gomez and Kevin Andrew Valdez-Gomez, who were allegedly buying marijuana from a street dealer outside the corner store, and 54-year-old Miguel Ramirez, who was apparently just an innocent bystander who got caught in the crossfire.
The circumstances of the shooting remain vague. The alleged marijuana dealer was reportedly a friend of Tatmon's, and some sort of dispute broke out between the Valdez-Gomez brothers and the dealer. (The weed deal transaction was apparently caught by store surveillance cameras.)
Tatmon allegedly jumped in and punched one of the brothers once the dispute escalated, and the Valdez-Gomez brother was holding a gun, which he then whipped out. Police say that Tatmon then whipped out his own gun, and the Valdez-Gomez brother fired first. Tatmon then allegedly shot and killed both Valdez-Gomez brothers and the 54-year-old innocent bystander.
KTVU reports that "What started the initial altercation was unclear, but police said audio indicates Tatmon felt the brothers had disrespected him and derided them as 'Millennials.'"
According to the Bay Area News Group, Tatmon was scheduled to be arraigned today, and is currently being held without bail at Dublin’s Santa Rita Jail.
Related: Oakland Opens New Year With Two Homicides, One Suspect Arrested [SFist]
Image: Google Street View
