Mervin Lacy Harmon, 39, an Oakland native and described by family as a loving father and talented cook, was shot and killed on April 16, 2021. Officers responded about 1:17 a.m. to shots detected by ShotSpotter on the 6200 block of Bromley Avenue in East Oakland and found Harmon with at least one gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene. At the time of his death Harmon was homeless and moving between shelters and relatives’ homes.

Harmon’s killing was later connected to a string of murders and one nonfatal shooting attributed to a suspected serial offender. The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges linking Harmon’s death to that same series. His family remembers him for his easygoing nature and his golden smile and says they have been living with fear and uncertainty since the killing.

If anyone knew Mervin Harmon or has information about the shooting on Bromley Avenue on April 16, 2021, please come forward.