Oakland, California – Two 18-year-olds from Oakland and Pacheco have been charged with murder and attempted murder for a shooting incident that resulted in the death of a man and left a young woman wounded on January 21 outside a local fast food restaurant. The suspects, Jamal Watts and Juliese Lawson, have been accused of killing 28-year-old Kenyetta Chapman from Brentwood and attempting to murder the 19-year-old woman who survived the attack. Watts is currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail with an arraignment scheduled for mid-April, while Lawson is on the run and considered a fugitive by the police.
The tragic shooting took place around 8:30 a.m. outside a fast food restaurant on East 24th Street in Oakland. Chapman and the woman were in a car when an assailant knocked on their window, returned to his own car, and then opened fire on them. Both victims were hit by gunfire, but the young woman managed to escape by running away and hopping over a fence to avoid being killed.
According to the police investigation, Lawson was identified as the shooter in the incident. Authorities allege that he knocked on the car window, and when he returned to his vehicle, Watts handed him a shotgun. Nine days after the shooting, Watts was brought in for questioning as a person of interest in an armed robbery case. The victim in that incident was confronted by two individuals demanding valuables, and one of them shot the victim. Miraculously, the victim was saved by gardening clippers in his shirt pocket that blocked the bullet intended for his chest. Although Watts was questioned on the same night, he was not arrested at that time.
The funeral for Kenyetta Chapman was held in February at a Richmond church, where he was remembered as a devoted family man with a strong work ethic. Described as sweet, intelligent, caring, and handsome, Chapman worked two jobs to support his family and his two sons. The community mourns the loss of a valued member who had a positive impact on those around him.