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During Tuesday night’s crime summit, the Berkeley Police Department gave its most complete account to date of the murders of Rammar Johnson and Noel Turner, Jr. 

BPD Homicide Detective William Badour took questions from the audience about the shooting, although he declined to answer many questions, on the grounds that releasing certain facts may interfere with the investigation of the case,. 

Badour said that Johnson and Turner were shot while sitting in a green Honda Acura parked in front of 3331 King St. at around 2:40 a.m. on Jan. 22. The victims each suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head. 

The shots were fired from outside the car, from a distance of between 10 and 15 feet, according to Badour. Two young black males were seen fleeing the scene on foot. The police department has not been able to identify them. 

The victims – who had been visiting someone in the area – were from East or West Oakland. They were not living in the neighborhood, which straddles the Oakland-Berkeley border, at the time of their deaths. Neither was employed. 

Badour said that both victims had rap sheets that included arrests for drugs and gun possession, but that they had not, to his knowledge, every been arrested in Berkeley. 

Johnson and Turner were not in possession of illegal drugs at the time of the shooting. 

“The investigation so far does not lead us to believe that the crime was drug-related,” Badour said, a point which many members in the audience found hard to believe. 

One questioner tried to pin Badour down on the point. He wanted to know if regular, law-abiding citizens who were not involved in drugs should fear for their safety. 

“Is there any reason why we should be more concerned about walking down the street than we were two weeks ago?” he asked.  

“I don’t think this was a random thing,” Badour answered, implying that the perpetrators of the crime were not likely to repeat the crime on innocent people. 

Badour said that forensic evidence connected with the crime has been collected and is still being processed. He said that many in the neighborhood, including people that have recently been arrested on drug-related crimes, have been questioned.  

Still, he said, the case, if it is solved, will most likely be solved by people with information who share it with the police. 

“In other cases like this that I’ve worked, there are people who have seen something but are reluctant to come forward,” he said. “If anyone saw anything, or suspects anything, or has a hunch, call us. You don’t have to leave your name.” 

To that end, the BPD is filling out paperwork that will soon allow the department for a substantial award – probably $30,000 – for information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrators. 

Badour said that he was optimistic that the case would be cracked soon. 

“Standing before you now, I feel pretty good about it,” he said. 

Anyone who may have information about the case is urged to contact the BPD Homicide division at (510) 981-5741.