Ethan Escorcio, 24, was shot on July 11, 2020, at the Circle K at 1716 Webster Street in Alameda. Store clerk Wenyong Huang, then 26 and from San Leandro, pulled a pistol from his waistband, pointed it at Escorcio’s neck and, while attempting to recover the cigarettes, shot him in the head. Escorcio was taken to a hospital and later died of his injuries.

Police concluded no robbery had occurred and say the initial call was based on a misunderstanding. Surveillance footage and other evidence led to Huang’s arrest; he was charged with murder and multiple weapons-related offenses, including carrying a loaded firearm on one’s person in a city and carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle. Huang told authorities he had found the gun, kept it for safety and hoped pointing it would deter theft. Escorcio’s mother, Carolyn Pratt Escorcio, called the death senseless and said no one deserved to die over a pack of cigarettes.

Did anyone witness the confrontation at the counter or have additional surveillance from nearby businesses?