Daniel Beltran, an 18-year-old San Francisco resident, was shot and killed in the early hours of July 22, 2014, in the lobby of the Henry Hotel near Sixth and Mission Streets. Beltran and a friend entered the hotel around 5 a.m., reportedly to buy marijuana, and mistakenly knocked on the wrong door. A confrontation followed after they refused to pay a $10 entry fee and show ID, and witnesses said Beltran was not involved in gang activity.

According to accounts, Beltran and his companion threatened the 57-year-old front desk clerk, claiming gang membership and threatening to shoot him. The clerk sought help from hotel resident Darrius York, 36, who was coming downstairs and was urged to get a gun. A physical fight broke out and York shot Beltran once; the hotel’s surveillance cameras recorded the encounter.

York was tried on murder and assault charges but was acquitted of those counts and convicted only of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Co-defendant Joseph Young, 35, was acquitted of assault charges but convicted of misdemeanor assault and given time served. The surveillance footage and York’s claim he acted to protect the clerk were central to the defense. If anyone knew Daniel, the circumstances that night, or saw events at the Henry Hotel that morning, please share what is known.