Gustavo Fuentes Ponce, 29, was shot and killed in East Oakland on May 15, 2019. The shooting occurred about 3:06 a.m. in the 2200 block of East 17th Street, near Garfield Elementary School. Ponce was pronounced dead at the scene and why he was in that area and the motive for the shooting were not clear.

Investigators say video footage and other leads identified 39-year-old David A. Buchanan of Fairfield. The footage reportedly showed Buchanan’s van at the scene and an interaction between Buchanan and Ponce shortly before the shooting. Buchanan was arrested the next day while driving the same van; police found a loaded gun under the front seat and another firearm was recovered during a later search of his home. Buchanan was charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and carrying a loaded firearm in public.

Questions remain about what led to the confrontation and the motive for the killing. Anyone with information about Ponce, the events on East 17th Street that night, or Buchanan’s movements is asked to come forward.