On December 11, 2024, at about 7:30 p.m., 75-year-old Earl Rhue was fatally shot in East Oakland after stepping outside during halftime of a Warriors game to smoke by his car. Gunshots were heard shortly afterward; Rhue was found with gunshot wounds, taken to a hospital, and pronounced dead. Authorities say the shooting appears to have been an attempted carjacking. As of December 13, 2024, no arrests or publicly identified suspects have been announced.

Rhue’s family and friends described him as a Renaissance man: he held a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, worked as a NASA engineer, performed as a puppeteer at Children’s Fairyland, and more recently drove for food delivery. Anyone with information or relevant photos or video is asked to contact the Oakland Police Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821, the TIP LINE at 238-7950, or send media to [email protected].

Did anyone in East Oakland see activity near the parking area around halftime on December 11?