Read: Isamaeli Mata’afa remembered as visionary who put his faith in action
Update, Oct. 12: A 29-year-old San Lorenzo man killed in a shooting early Saturday morning on Telegraph Avenue that left three other men injured has been identified as Isamaeli (Eli) Mata’afa, according to the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, where he was in the Master of Divinity program.
“When any member of our community is taken so suddenly from us – and in particular, to the plague of senseless gun violence – the web and interwoven fiber of our community life is also torn apart,” said Rev. Ann Jefferson. “We will mourn the loss of Ismaeli, his contributions to our community, and his extended community of faith, and we as a community pledge to do our part to remember his life by working for the flourishing of peace in our world.”
Mata’afa was killed Saturday around 1 a.m. in a shooting that followed an earlier altercation a block from UC Berkeley, Berkeley Police said. Three men ages 22, 24 and 28 were also injured in the shooting.
A prayer vigil will be held for Mata’afa Thursday evening outside of the San Lorenzo Community Church, 945 Paseo Grande, in San Lorenzo.
Update, Oct. 11: A 29-year-old man was killed in a shooting early Saturday morning on Telegraph Avenue just south of Durant Avenue that left three other men injured, Berkeley police confirmed.
Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Byron White said the shooting happened right around the 1 a.m. closing time for bars and clubs when several people were in the area, which is around the corner from UC Berkeley’s Unit 3 dorm complex.
Police said the shooting stemmed from a fight that broke out earlier. The three other men who were shot were 22, 24 and 28, according to White.
Three victims ran away from the area of the shooting on Telegraph Avenue to Durant Avenue, White said, and police and responders contacted them in front of Unit 3.
The Alameda County coroner’s office couldn’t be reached to confirm the identity of the man who died. White said one of the men hospitalized was in critical condition as of Saturday, but he didn’t provide a further update.
Police believe there may be video footage of the moments surrounding the shooting and ask that anyone with information to contact police.
Correction: Our original story (below) reported that the shooting occurred on Durant Avenue by the student dorms. The shooting actually occurred on Telegraph Avenue, south of Durant.
Original story, Oct. 8: One person is dead and three others were injured in a shooting early Saturday morning after a fight broke out near UC Berkeley student dorms on Durant Avenue, according to Berkeley Police.
One man was killed. All four were transported to an area hospital, police said. The condition of the other three is unknown at this time.
The department sent out an advisory about the incident at 1:35 a.m., warning people to stay away from the area.
The shooting happened near UC Berkeley’s Unit 3 dorm complex on Durant Avenue just west of Telegraph. Dried blood and broken car window glass could still be seen on the sidewalk late Saturday morning, though there was no longer a police presence at the scene.
Freshman Ally Matheson, who lives in Unit 3, said she was coming home early Saturday morning when she saw people fleeing the shooting scene.
“There were a bunch of people running in the opposite direction like, ‘Don’t go over there,'” Matheson said.
Freshman Janna Redmond, whose dorm room looks out onto the scene, said she saw first responders treating two men next to a parked pickup truck after the shooting.
“I had gotten home 10 minutes before,” Redmond said. The block was busy, which was typical for a Friday night, she said, and while she noticed the pickup truck on her way inside, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.
Berkeley resident Jai Kalra said he was standing near Bunz, a burger joint on Durant Avenue, when he heard gunshots, which he initially mistook for fireworks. He ran, with others, inside the nearby Taco Bell, where they waited for around 10 minutes before clearing out.
“People just ran anywhere they could, to the closest indoor location they could find,” Kalra said. “We were scared, and it took me back to the Las Vegas incident.”
Kalra’s car was towed as part of the investigation. He had parked his car on Telegraph Avenue, across the street from the lot formerly occupied by sports bar Pappy’s. A bullet punctured his tire and front bumper.
According to Berkeley Police, no one involved in the incident is a UC Berkeley student.
Police say they were still seeking the suspects in the shooting but didn’t say how many they were.
The case is currently under investigation by Berkeley Police. Anyone with information about the shooting can call the police department at (510) 981-5900.
