Shortly before dawn on August 12, 2025, ShotSpotter alerts brought officers to the 700 block of 21st Street in West Oakland. Jermil Kevin Lamar Lewis, 41, was rushed by private vehicle to a hospital and was pronounced dead later that morning; his name was released the following week.

Detectives reported gunfire erupted about a block from an apparent attempted break-in. Investigators found a ladder and a set of burglary tools near a rear entrance off 22nd Street, reachable from the alley along 21st, and placed Lewis within earshot of that scene when he was shot. Neighbors woke to sirens and patrol lights as Lewis was ferried away in a private car.

As of mid-August, no arrests had been announced, no suspect publicly named, and the motive remained unsettled. Anyone with tips, photos, or video of movement in the alleys or on 21st and 22nd Streets before sunrise is asked to come forward.