Oakland man charged with murder of bystander

OAKLAND >> Alameda County prosecutors have filed murder charges against a second man arrested in connection with a huge January 2021 shootout in which an innocent bystander was killed while dropping off food for a sick friend.

Deyonne White, 32, was charged with murdering John Avalos. White also faces four counts of attempted murder and an illegal gun possession charge. Among the alleged victims listed for the attempted murder charges is Ramon Price, an Oakland rapper who went by Lil Monnie23 and was gunned down a year later in a shooting on Interstate 580.

Three people were injured in the shooting, including White and another man who was charged with murder earlier this year, police said.

White is described by police as a member of an Oakland gang who traveled with others to 107th Avenue and Apricot Street searching for rivals. A shootout involving 14 gunmen resulted, with more than 200 rounds fired.

Police say Avalos, 38, of San Lorenzo had no connection to the shooters. He was dropping off meals for a friend who had COVID-19 when he was fatally wounded by gunfire.

White hasn't yet entered a plea. His arraignment has been set for August. He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

At the time of the killing, White was on parole for convictions of conspiracy and assault with a firearm, stemming from a 2013 gang-related shooting in Oakland. In 2016, he was sentenced to 15 years in state prison with three years credit for time served, but was granted parole in 2020, according to court records.

White was arrested June 13 in San Leandro. Back in March, prosecutors charged Billy Deon Williams with murdering Avalos for his alleged participation in the gunbattle.

Like Williams, White was struck by gunfire during the shooting and ended up at a hospital that same day, police said. He claimed he was shot in a different part of Oakland and had no knowledge of the shootout that killed Avalos. Police allege that when he showed up at the hospital he was wearing similar clothes to one of the gunman and that witnesses identified White as a participant.

The intended target was an alleged rival gang member listed as one of White's attempted murder victims, according to authorities.

Authorities say Price was present during the shooting but wasn't struck by gunfire. More than a year later, in February 2022, he was gunned down on the 98th Avenue onramp to westbound Interstate 580. The suspect in that case, Larry Coney, allegedly followed Price in a gold Mercedes and used a .223 caliber firearm to gun him down. Coney has been charged with murder and is in jail, awaiting trial.

The alleged motive for Price's killing was a feud between him and Coney that involved songs each man made disrespecting the other, according to family members. Price's father, Ramon Price Sr., is a reverend who works at a local funeral home. His 17-year-old son, Lamont Price, was also shot and killed in Oakland, in 2012.