5 Charged With Murder For Fatal Shooting At Oakland Homeless Camp
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- A five-time felon and four other people, three of whom also have prior convictions, have been charged with murder for the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old transient man at an East Oakland homeless camp in October, according to court records.
Bryan Colston, 31, was charged on Nov. 26 in connection with the shooting of Bomani Busby at the homeless camp in the 800 block of 77th Avenue at about 11:07 p.m. on Oct. 9.
The fatal shooting of Busby is one of a large number of homicides at homeless camps in Oakland in recent years. Oakland police Sgt. Phong Tran wrote in a probable cause statement that Busby was assaulted by at least three people.
Tran said Busby was stabbed with an unknown sharp weapon and during the assault one of the suspects, later identified through witness statements and physical evidence as Colston, shot him multiple times and Busby was pronounced dead at the scene.
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"It appears Colston shot and killed Bomani Busby while he laid defenseless on the ground and without provocation," Tran wrote. Also charged with murder are Brandon Harper, 30, Joshua Lucas, 29, Derrick Simmons, 27, and Fatima Harrison, 32.
Simmons and Harrison have Oakland addresses but authorities didn't disclose where Colston, Lucas and Harper are from. Tran said the evidence in the case indicates that Harper initiated the assault in which Busby wound up being fatally shot by Colston, who he described as being Harper's associate.
Tran said the evidence also indicates that Lucas possessed the sharp weapon that was used in the attack and is the person who stabbed Busby. Tran said Simmons drove Lucas to and from the scene and Harrison fled the scene in the same vehicle with Harper and Colston and aided those two men by attempting to hide their vehicle.
Colston was arrested on Nov. 25 at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he already was in custody on charges stemming from a robbery at the Provident Credit Union in Fremont on Oct. 21.
Colston and two co-defendants are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for a preliminary hearing in that case.
Colston's apparently has two previous convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and one each for second-degree robbery, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm that wasn't registered.
Colston was arraigned on the murder charge on Dec. 3 and is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 8 to enter a plea. A no-bail warrant has been issued for Harper, who is still at large.
Harper apparently has prior convictions for unlawfully taking a vehicle, evading an officer, possession for sale of a controlled substance and carrying a loaded firearm in a city. Harrison also remains at large.
Lucas reputedly has prior convictions for second-degree robbery and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and Simmons apparently has a conviction for second-degree robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Lucas and Simmons, who were both arrested on Nov. 25, are scheduled to join Colston in court on Jan. 8 to enter pleas.
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