Gunfire struck Popeye's Tobacco & Grocery, a 24-hour shop on University Avenue, at around 4:20 a.m. Saturday while three employees were inside. No one was injured, and the masked shooter left before officers arrived.
The store is at 1597 University Ave., according to The Berkeley Scanner, citing Berkeley police. Multiple callers reported hearing five to 10 gunshots in the area. Officers found that gunfire had struck the storefront; the employees inside were not hit.
Masked Shooter Vanishes Into the Night
Police described the shooter as a man wearing a black ski mask and dark clothing. The Berkeley Scanner reported that he walked away afterward and may have gotten into a vehicle; investigators have not detailed where he went.
The circumstances remain under investigation, The Berkeley Scanner reported. Authorities have not released further details about a possible motive, what happened before the gunfire or the weapon involved.
Berkeley's 2026 Gunfire Tally
As of Saturday, Berkeley and UC police had investigated three injury shootings and eight non-injury shootings in 2026, according to The Berkeley Scanner. The tally was three injury and seven non-injury shootings just before the Popeye's incident. At the same point in 2025, Berkeley had recorded 13 non-injury shootings and a non-fatal police shooting.
As of Saturday, Berkeley and UC police had investigated three injury shootings and eight non-injury shootings so far in 2026, up from three injury and seven non-injury shootings recorded just before the Popeye's incident, as reported by The Berkeley Scanner. That is a notably smaller tally than the same point in 2025, when the city had already logged 13 non-injury shootings and a non-fatal police shooting.
How gunfire calls are confirmed
Berkeley police generally consider a gunfire call confirmed when officers find evidence such as shell casings, a victim or property damage; UCPD also uses ShotSpotter to help identify gunfire, according to Berkeleyside. Berkeleyside's 2025 gunfire map also records a separate Feb. 9 investigation of reported gunshots on University Avenue between Acton and Sacramento streets. The map provides no further details about that incident.
