The San Francisco Police Department issued a somewhat vague press release Monday referring to some unspecified "Bay Area homicides that were possibly related to San Francisco gang members," and a possible act of retaliation by rivals.

The SFPD Violence Reduction Team (VRT) reportedly took note of a vehicle, a Kia Stinger, that recently came driving through the Sunnydale housing development, and occupants of the vehicle allegedly engaged in some act of aggression or intimidation. According to VRT members, they "observed [the suspects] exiting this vehicle armed with several firearms, including several assault-style rifles," and the officers "believed that these suspects were looking to retaliate or harm members of a rival criminal street gang."

The Kia Stinger was then tracked to a residence in Richmond, and a surveillance operation then began to follow the vehicle's movements. The vehicle was seen going to Concord on June 28, and VRT members say it was used in a jewelry store robbery there on that date.

The suspects reportedly switched vehicles following the robbery, getting into an Infiniti SUV, which was then seen arriving back in Richmond to the location where the Kia had departed.

Officers say they observed 23-year-old Cameron Haynes exit the vehicle, after which they moved to make an arrest. He allegedly tried to evade arrest, fleeing on foot, but was soon detained. A later search of the vehicle he got into after exiting the Infinity, a Toyota SUV, revealed a handgun, assault rifle, ammunition, and evidence related to the jewelry store robbery, according to police.

Four other suspects fled in the Infiniti SUV and were pursued using SFPD drones, and during the surveillance officers said they saw items being discarded out of the vehicle.

Officers later conducted a traffic stop of the SUV on the 100 block of West Macdonald Avenue in Richmond, detaining the four suspects. They've been identified as 29-year-old Terry Franklin, 19-year-old Lavar Kent, 21-year-old Teric Howard, and 18-year-old Erik Howard.

It's unclear if all of the suspects are East Bay residents, but the SFPD said they have obtained search warrants for residences in Richmond and Oakland. At the Oakland home, two assault rifles were seized, and suspected heroin was reportedly found at the Richmond residence.

No charges have yet been filed against the suspects, and it remains unclear what homicides around the Bay the VRT believes are linked to SF gang members, for which this group might have been seeking retaliation.

Both San Francisco and Oakland have seen declining homicides in recent years, some of which can be attributable to violence-reduction efforts in both cities.

Following a spike in homicides during the first quarter of 2026, things have quieted down somewhat, with no homicides occuring in San Francisco in the last seven weeks, since May 17.