Features

Two weeks to the day after Berkeley’s first homicide of the year, a 64-year-old South Berkeley man was gunned down Sunday evening in his apartment at 1820 Alcatraz Ave. 

Samuel Anderson, 64, was killed by a bullet that passed through both arms and his to rso, according to the Alameda County Coroner’s office. 

Mario “Tiptoe” Jackson, the year’s first homicide victim, was gunned down on July 18 behind his grandmother’s apartment at 1317 Ashby Ave.—only seven blocks from the scene of Sunday’s murder. 

City o fficials have posted a $15,000 reward for information leading the arrest and conviction of Jackson’s killer. 

Multiple calls flooded city 911 dispatchers starting at 8:31 p.m. Sunday, said Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies. 

Police arrived mo ments later and began a search, eventually discovering Anderson’s body. Police initially withheld his name pending notification of next of kin, then released it when they determined he had no living relatives. 

Detectives believe the killing may have resulted from a case of mistaken identity. 

Anyone with information on either homicide is urged to contact Berkeley homicide detectives at 981-5741 or by e-mailing tips to police@ci.berkeley.us. Callers and e-mailers may remain anonymous, Okies said. 

Sunday’s murder also prompted a Thursday night community meeting at the South Berkeley Senior Center called by South Berkeley City Councilmember Maudelle Shirek and Berkeley Police. 

A similar meeting followed the Jackson shooting.