Malik Birchett, 20, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Oakland on January 9, 2013. The shooting happened about 2:30 p.m. in the 600 block of 55th Street while Birchett was a passenger in a gray pickup truck. Authorities say Billy Joe Drinkwater fired from a red car, apparently in retaliation for the September 2012 killing of Drinkwater’s friend Lorenzo Lamar Ward, because Drinkwater believed occupants of the pickup were connected to Ward’s death.

Drinkwater fled the Bay Area and was arrested eight days later in Oklahoma City. The prosecution described the attack as premeditated and revenge-motivated, while the defense pointed to inconsistent witness statements and a lack of direct evidence tying Drinkwater to the fatal shot. Desmond Provost, another passenger in the pickup, had previously been charged in Ward’s death and later agreed to testify against Drinkwater as part of a plea to a lesser charge. Keiar Robinson, the driver of the car Drinkwater used, maintained he did not know Drinkwater’s intentions; there were also questions raised about Robinson’s family ties to the Oakland Police Department and whether some evidence was overlooked.

Birchett’s family said the loss altered their lives, especially that of his young daughter, and criticized the sentence as too lenient. Does anyone have memories of Malik or information about the shooting that could add clarity to what happened that day?