Zavier C. Patton was 19 and a computer science student at California State University, Northridge when he was killed in a drive-by shooting on August 15, 2020. He was attending a friend’s graduation celebration at a housing complex on International Boulevard in Oakland and was standing in a prayer circle with other young people when a white SUV and a gray Nissan sedan drove by and someone in the Nissan opened fire. Zavier and his friends were not the intended targets, and the motive remains unclear.

Zavier had moved back to the East Bay to live with his sister, Krystal King, during the pandemic and was due to begin his sophomore year with online classes. His family remembers him as a loving, wise presence and a role model to his young nephews; they had already suffered the loss of their mother to cancer six years earlier. The Oakland Police Department is investigating and has appealed to the public for help; no arrests have been reported.

If anyone was at the celebration or has information about the vehicles or suspects, please share what you know with investigators.