Police investigate slaying of young father in Oakland hills

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) -- 21-year-old Marcus West Jr. was a new father on his way to work just after 7 a.m. Tuesday morning when someone shot and killed him outside the home he shared with his grandmother. 

"I heard some shots and then I came down and this young man was shot in front of his car," said Art Scott, who lives down the street.

"I saw his body. I covered him up with a blanket and put a towel over his head wound," said West's grandmother Jinnie West.

Police haven't released any details about the killing. Ms. West told KTVU Marcus was not only her grandson but her friend. And she was with him to the bitter end.

"I think he was in peace when he died, because after we prayed he took his last breath and that's helpful to me," said West.

She went on to say the two would talk almost every morning before Marcus would leave for work, but they did not speak on Tuesday. She questioned why someone would want to hurt grandson.

"I don't know what he was doing outside of the home. I can't say. I don't know anyone who would hate him this much to kill him," said West.

Marcus is the 18th person to be shot and killed on the streets of Oakland this year, a disturbing and all too familiar growing statistic in the city.

"This one is just as devastating as the other 17. It's another young African-American male who lost their life to the violence," said Oakland City Council member Larry Reid.

So far police have not released any information about potential suspects, but West said she has sympathy for the person who pulled the trigger and ended her grandson's life.

"I feel sorry for the kids, because if they get caught, this is a thrown-away life," explained West.