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Police Identify Shooting Victim

John Geluardi
Friday May 23, 2003

The body that was discovered between two houses in South Berkeley has been identified by police as that of 20-year-old Mario Deshawn Mills.  

Mills, who died of gun shot wounds, was a resident of central Berkeley. The investigation into his death is ongoing, and police have not released any information about the type of gun used in the shooting or how many times Mills was shot.  

Residents of the 1400 block of Derby Street, where Mills’ body was found, called police around 11:30 p.m. to report hearing as many as five gunshots. Police canvassed the area but did not discover anything unusual.  

However, at 6:30 a.m. the following morning, a resident leaving for work spotted what he thought was someone’s feet sticking out from between two houses. He called police, who found Mills’ body.  

Mills was pronounced dead at the scene and police scoured the area for evidence.  

Mills is the third murder victim in Berkeley this year. On January 14, Ronald Easily, 19, was shot to death in the 1600 block of Harmon Street; on March 17, Andre Byes, 37, was shot to death in his home in the 1300 block of Glendale Avenue.  

A previously scheduled community meeting at the Francis Albrier Community Center, which is near where Mills’ body was discovered, was expanded Thursday night so community members could discuss the status of the case with police.  

 

—John Geluardi