An Oakland man has been sentenced to three years in county jail after admitting to a weapons charge tied to the chaotic Juneteenth mass shooting near Lake Merritt in June 2024, a night of gunfire that left more than a dozen people wounded along the lakefront.
Prosecutors said 29-year-old JaJuan Kelly pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of a firearm by a felon. With time served and conduct credits factored in, the agreement effectively adds up to a three-year term in county custody. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Roz Silvaggio signed off on the deal, which prosecutors and court records say significantly reduced Kelly's exposure compared with the felony indictment he was originally facing, according to The Mercury News.
The violence erupted the night of June 19, 2024, as unsanctioned sideshow activity around Lake Merritt spilled into fights along Grand Avenue, authorities said. Roughly 5,000 people had crowded into the area for Juneteenth festivities before the mood flipped and gunfire broke out. Police later collected more than 50 shell casings and described multiple shooters trading shots, leaving victims in their 20s and 30s with injuries that ranged from minor to critical, reporting that was first laid out by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Court documents and police reports indicate Kelly was himself shot during the exchange and treated at the scene. While officers were providing medical aid, they say they discovered a loaded pistol tucked into his underwear. KTVU reported that Kelly later told investigators he fired at a group he thought looked suspicious, and his attorney argued the shooting could have been self-defense. Prosecutors, however, had initially charged him with multiple offenses, including assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Authorities have maintained that Kelly was not the only person involved. Court filings outline other alleged participants and the evidence gathered in the months since the shooting. According to prosecutors, video and subsequent filings name Roosevelt Curry, who has been charged in connection with the incidents, and say that Damijia McGee previously pleaded no contest to a weapons charge and later was paroled after serving a two-year term, details that were reported by The Mercury News.
Legal road ahead
Before the plea deal, Kelly had been indicted on four counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, and other weapons-related charges, according to prosecutors. By pleading to a single weapons count, he resolves those allegations for now and avoids the possibility of a much longer state prison sentence if a jury had convicted him at trial, as described by ABC7 Bay Area.
Investigation and community reaction
Local leaders and residents have said the shootings cast a grim shadow over what was supposed to be a celebration of freedom and community at the lake. In the aftermath, city officials pledged stepped-up patrols at Lake Merritt, hoping to keep future holiday gatherings from turning violent.
Meanwhile, the investigation is still very much alive. Oakland police are continuing to ask anyone who was at the lake that night and has photos or video to contact the Oakland Police Department's Felony Assault Unit. Detectives are working to identify additional shooters and lock down more corroborating footage, a process that local outlets, including Oakland North, have been closely following.
