Oakland, California – Two 18-year-olds are facing charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with a fatal shooting that took place outside a local fast-food restaurant on January 21st. Court records reveal that the incident resulted in the death of a man in his 20s, identified as Kenyetta Chapman from Brentwood, and left a 19-year-old woman injured after she managed to escape the gunfire by running and jumping over a fence.
The suspects, Jamal Watts from Oakland and Juliese Lawson from Pacheco, are accused of murdering Chapman and attempting to murder the young woman. Watts is currently held in Santa Rita Jail with an arraignment scheduled for mid-April, while Lawson remains at large and is considered a fugitive by the police.
According to authorities, the shooting occurred at around 8:30 a.m. on January 21st as Chapman and the woman were sleeping in a car parked outside the restaurant on the 2400 block of East 24th Street. A man approached their vehicle, knocked on the window, then proceeded to open fire on them. While both victims were hit by the gunfire, the woman managed to flee and avoid being fatally shot by jumping over a fence.
Law enforcement investigations have identified Lawson as the alleged shooter, claiming that he knocked on the car window before returning to his own vehicle, where Watts reportedly handed him the weapon used in the shooting.
In a separate incident nine days after the shooting, Watts was questioned by Oakland police as a person of interest in armed robbery. The victim in that case was saved from a potentially fatal shot due to the unexpected protection provided by gardening clippers placed in a shirt pocket. Despite being questioned on the same night, Watts was not arrested at that time.
Chapman was laid to rest in February at a Richmond church, where he was remembered as a devoted family man who worked tirelessly to support his loved ones. Described as kind, intelligent, and hardworking, Chapman’s tragic death has left a void in the community and highlighted the devastating impact of senseless acts of violence.