A kind-hearted Oakland man gunned down while bringing food to the homeless is being mourned by his longtime girlfriend as police officials...
A kind-hearted Oakland man gunned down while bringing food to the homeless is being mourned by his longtime girlfriend as police officials decry the city's runaway gun violence.
Robert Herron, 55, was delivering donations he'd amassed with girlfriend Lisa Chavez in East Oakland on August 20 around 9.30 am when a man he had never met shot him several times.
Herron is one of 100 people shot dead in Oakland this year, compared with 70 at the same time in 2020, FOX5 reported. In total, there were 109 killings for all of 2020 last year.
By this time in 2019, Oakland had recorded 52 murders and saw 74 total that year.
Robert Herron, 55, was delivering donations he'd amassed with girlfriend Lisa Chavez in East Oakland on August 20 around 9.30 am when a man he had never met shot him several times.
Gun violence is on the rise in Oakland - the city hit the grim milestone of 100 killings this year on September 20 - there had only been 66 murders at this time last year, and 52 by September 20 in 2019
'So much violence. So many guns. So many senseless lives lost. If this is not a calling to everybody in this community that there is a crisis, I don’t know what is,' Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said at a Monday press conference.
'I say this every time we have a press conference. I’m tired of appearing before you. We’ve got to do the work. I’ll be out in the community meeting with people, but I need people to step up and grab your loved ones and tell them, "Put the guns down.'''
Oakland, a city with a population of 425,000, has seen it's police department shrink to 694 sworn officers, according to The Guardian - the fewest since 2014.
On Tuesaday, the Oakland City Council voted to fund an additional police academy that will bring more officers to help fight crime, according to NBC Bay Area.
Robert Herron, 55 (pictured right), was delivering donations he'd amassed with girlfriend of 14 years Lisa Chavez (pictured left)
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has been advocating for the measure for a large portion of 2021.
'Good policing requires officers that are not just running from 911 call to 911 call or are exhausted because they’re working too much overtime,' said Schaaf on Tuesday. 'Oakland has the lowest per violent crime staffing of any department in America.'
Police said the fatal shooting of Herron was unprovoked, and have yet to establish a motive. Cops identified Jamal Taylor, 33, as the killer through CCTV footage but he fled the state.
On August 27, Taylor was shot dead by police at Chicago's Union Station after he opened fire on officers trying to apprehend him, according to the East Bay Times.
'Slim' Hoover, a man receiving food from Herron when he was shot, told FOX5, 'People out here are getting killed for nothing. You can get killed for blinking an eye wrong.'
'Slim' Hoover, a man receiving food from Herron when he was shot, told Fox5, 'People out here are getting killed for nothing. You can get killed for blinking an eye wrong'
Chavez told FOX5 that Herron, her boyfriend of 14 years, was passionate about helping those in need despite his own struggles. The pair had been living out of a van after they were evicted from their home in April, she said.
Regardless, he continued to collect donations of food, blankets and clothing to bring to the homeless each week, she told the outlet.
He was a 'success story with a sad ending,' she said.
Chavez told the FOX that Herron, her boyfriend of 14 years, was passionate about helping those in need despite his own struggles- since April, the pair had been living out of a van after they were evicted from their home.' Regardless, he continued to collect donations of food, blankets and clothing to bring to the homeless each week, she told the outlet - he was a 'success story with a sad ending'
'We were supposed to go to Disneyland - he was my Goofy. We were supposed to go and get married,' Chavez said. 'It's a fairy tale that almost happened, but it never will.'
On September 24 at 9 am, Chavez said she plans to resume their ritual of helping those in need.
She urged community members to bring food to donate to the intersection of International Boulevard and 89th Avenue in his memory.
No comments