Why We Carry: Delivery Man Fatally Shot After He Comments On Someone’s Dog

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA — Oakland’s Koreatown neighborhood was rattled by a fatal shooting last Wednesday, as new details about the violent incident came to light. The deadly incident was captured on a surveillance camera and appears to have originated from a simple verbal spat between two men over a dog.

The surveillance footage reveals a man and a woman with two dogs walking past a flower delivery worker at the entrance of the Telegraph Arts apartment building. An altercation ensues after the delivery worker comments on one of the dogs. The situation rapidly escalates from a heated exchange of words to physical violence, with the dog owner drawing a gun and shooting the delivery worker.

The shooter, recognized by local residents as a frequent walker of his French bulldog, then flees, with the woman hastily following. The victim, who was delivering flowers to the apartment complex near Telegraph Avenue around 6:30 p.m., succumbed to his injuries.

The incident has left community members distressed. “It’s really scary. My heart breaks for the person who got killed,” said area resident Dasom Nah.

The surveillance camera that recorded the event was part of a network of 60 cameras installed by KONO to bolster neighborhood security. Godinez noted that this footage has already helped the police with 10 criminal incidents, including two shootings. The organization plans to double the number of surveillance cameras in the next six months.

The identity of the deceased delivery worker has yet to be disclosed by the police.