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Family of East Bay nurse shot & killed, speaks out about loss
The family of Lartey Solomon, a dedicated registered nurse from the East Bay, is speaking out and mourning his loss after he was shot and killed during a downtown Oakland robbery attempt on May 31.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The family of a beloved East Bay nurse who was shot and killed during an attempted robbery spoke out on Wednesday about their devastating loss. Relatives described Lartey Solomon as a jovial, generous, and loving man, and say they cannot believe he became a victim of gun violence.
‘Nurse Solomon’
What they're saying:
Solomon was a registered nurse at Kindred Hospital in San Leandro. Known to his online community as "Nurse Solomon," family members say nursing was his true calling. He frequently dedicated his personal time to creating social media videos to provide free medical advice to the public.
His life was cut short in the early morning hours of May 31. According to his mother, Florence Edwards, Solomon and a friend were walking to a parked car in downtown Oakland after leaving a nightclub around 2:45 a.m. A man approached Solomon and complimented him on a chain he was wearing.
"This man approached him again and said, 'Give me your chain,'" Edwards said. "My son says, 'You can have...' He was ready to take off everything."
Solomon's friend told Edwards that he was walking toward his own parked car when he suddenly heard gunshots.
"Why did he kill my son?" Edwards asked. "He could have just robbed him and leave him alone."
The suspect
Dig deeper:
Several days after the shooting, police arrested 39-year-old Shacory Daniels of Vallejo. Investigators say they tracked the suspect's vehicle and discovered casings linked to him. Daniels is currently being held behind bars without bail and faces charges of murder alongside other felonies. Daniels has a prior criminal history, which includes a physical confrontation with Fremont police in 2018.
Solomon's family expressed gratitude to the police for making a quick arrest, but the loss has left a profound void.
"He was scared of guns," said Emmanuel Solomon, the victim's brother. "For him to die of gun violence, that's sad and really tough for us."
"Lartey was not just a headline," added Nana Ekua Solomon, the victim's sister-in-law. "What Lartey was doing online wasn't for financial reasons, it was his passion. We want his legacy to still live."
Family members shared that Solomon had plans to eventually become a doctor. He immigrated to the United States from Ghana years ago in search of a better life, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter. The family has now started an online fundraiser to help bring his daughter and his father to the U.S. and to help pay for funeral expenses.
"Should be in jail for the rest of his life so he doesn't come out and kill another person," Edwards said of the suspect, who has a plea hearing scheduled for June 30.
There is an online fundraiser for Solomon.
The Source: Lartey Solomon's family, Oakland Police Department, Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Alameda County District Attorney's Office, court documents