Victim of 2020 shooting dies; murder charge pending against suspect

OAKLAND >> A UC Berkeley employee, left paralyzed and unable to breathe or eat on his own after being shot multiple times in July 2020 near Lake Merritt in a road rage incident, has died and his death has been determined to be a homicide, authorities said.

Quoc Tran, 32, of Oakland died Nov. 14 at a longterm care facility. An autopsy determined that the shooting injuries were the main contributor to his death, making it Oakland’s 128th homicide this year, authorities said.

A suspect with two prior felony convictions was arrested the day after the shooting and was charged with 11 felony and misdemeanor crimes, including attempted murder. The complaint against the suspect, Jamon Hill, 25, of Oakland, will be amended to include a count of murder, authorities said.

Tran, who had worked as a planner/scheduler in campus operations at UC Berkeley since March 2018, was shot inside his vehicle about 11:19 a.m., July 27, 2020, at the intersection of Second Avenue and International Boulevard in Oakland’s Eastlake district.

Authorities said Tran had become concerned about someone driving recklessly and tailgating him in a Lexus, and he took a picture of the car.

Police said Hill, who was the other driver and did not know Tran, became angry, pulled alongside Tran’s vehicle and began shooting at him.

The shooting was captured on video surveillance in the area, court documents say. Hill was spotted the next day driving the car in East Oakland. He refused to stop for police and sped away, eventually crashing and running from the vehicle in the area of the 3100 block of 61st Avenue, where he tried to hide in some yards before he was arrested, the documents say. A loaded, unregistered pistol was recovered in the vehicle, but it has not yet been determined if it was the gun used to shoot Tran, authorities said.

A GoFundMe account was set up for Tran after the shooting. His death was announced on the site; in the update, Tran, who was known to his family as “Koko,” was called “a warrior” who “fought hard to the very end.”

He was described in the posting as “considerate, respectful, generous and kind” and as someone who “lived a life that he loved. He was so grateful for his loving friends, co-workers and family. His mom was his everything.”

“Please remember his contagious laughter, his strong heart, his kind soul and his love of life,” the posting says.

Even after his death people continued to contribute to the fund, which had an initial goal of $50,000. As of Friday morning it had raised $52,294.

In a statement, Felix Deleon, director of campus operations at UC Berkeley, said Tran was “instrumental in developing some of our processes,” including a COVID supply store that is used across campus.

“In the last year since the incident we witnessed his strength, dedication, and courage,” Deleon said. “He was a valuable member of our team and will be greatly missed.”

Hill is being held without bail on charges of attempted murder, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, shooting from a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a loaded firearm on one’s person in a city, carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, and evading an officer with willful disregard. He also faces two misdemeanor counts of hit and run driving. The charges include a special allegation that Hill was on parole at the time of the shooting.

According to court records, Hill has two prior felony convictions from May 2015: assault with a semiautomatic firearm and unlawful sexual intercourse. He was sentenced to prison in the assault case and placed on probation for the sex case, the documents say. He has pleaded not guilty and is due in court for a pretrial hearing Jan. 20.