Suspect charged with murder for fatal shooting in Berkeley
BERKELEY, Calif. - A Berkeley man was charged with murder today in connection with the fatal shooting of a Stockton man in South Berkeley on Tuesday night.
Anthony Durant, 24, was scheduled to be arraigned at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland this afternoon in connection with the shooting of Christian Sheppard, 24.
Sheppard was found suffering multiple gunshot wounds near the corner of Russell and California streets when police responded to reports of gunshots there at 8:32 p.m. on Tuesday and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital a short time later.
Durant was arrested early Wednesday morning in the 1600 block of Julia Street, about a block away from the shooting scene.
In addition to murder, Durant faces an enhancement clause of causing death by discharging a firearm, which could add 25 years to his state prison term if he's convicted, and an unlawful firearm activity charge.
Berkeley police Sgt. Peter Hong wrote in a probable cause statement that evidence at the crime scene indicated a dice game had preceded the shooting. A witness said Durant and Sheppard were the only two people playing dice at that time.
Hong said Sheppard suffered multiple gunshot wounds to various parts of his body and about 16 rounds of 9mm spent casing were located at the crime scene.
Witnesses said Durant fled south and police determined that Durant's family home is on Julia Street, which is the next street south of Russell Street, Hong said.
Investigators found a Smith and Wesson 9 mm semiautomatic handgun in a yard in the 1600 block of Julia Street and the firearm, which had a capacity of 16 rounds, was empty of bullets and had its slide locked back,
according to Hong.
Officers saw a man with dreadlocks who matched the description of Durant inside his family's home and surrounded the house until they could obtain arrest and search warrants, Hong said.
Durant tried to leave through a side door shortly after midnight but he was detained and taken into custody, Hong said.
Durant was arrested last year in connection with a June 11, 2014, shooting at the same corner that sent two young men to the hospital.
Investigators served search warrants in Berkeley and Oakland on June 26, 2014, while investigating that shooting and arrested another suspect, Donzale Majia, 22, of Oakland.
Investigators continued searching for Durant, posting alerts that he was wanted and considered armed and dangerous, and he turned himself in to police early the next morning.
Police and prosecutors have not yet provided information on the result of that case.