Charnise Raines

Charnise Raines, a 22-year-old African-American woman from Oakland, was a devoted mother to her five-year-old son and worked at a local pizza parlor. Remembered as a daughter and a friend, her life was tragically cut short in the early hours of Monday, October 13, 2014, leaving her family and community searching for answers that have remained elusive for years.

The night she was killed, Charnise was driving with a friend, a 20-year-old Oakland man. They were returning from the Fruitvale district when, at approximately 1:30 a.m., their car was targeted by gunfire. The shooting occurred in the 900 block of 69th Avenue in East Oakland, a residential area not far from the Coliseum BART station. Police later noted that neither Charnise nor her friend lived in the neighborhood where the attack took place. It was unclear to investigators whether the shots were fired from another vehicle or by someone on the street.

In the chaotic moments after the shots were fired, the vehicle Charnise was driving crashed into a parked car. Despite being gravely wounded, both she and her passenger were able to get out of the wrecked vehicle. Tragically, Charnise collapsed and died at the scene from her injuries. Her friend was also wounded in the shooting but survived and was later released from a hospital. The motive for the ambush has never been determined by authorities.

The Oakland Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into Charnise's death. Detectives from the Homicide Section began processing the scene and interviewing potential witnesses, but the case lacked clear leads from the start. No suspects were publicly identified, and no arrests have ever been made in connection with the murder. The case quickly went cold, joining the ranks of Oakland's many unsolved homicides.

In the years since her death, investigators have not given up hope. The Oakland Police Department has periodically issued public appeals for information, sometimes releasing videos to bring renewed attention to the case and encourage anyone with knowledge of the crime to come forward. Her mother, Cassandra Madison, organized a GoFundMe campaign to help with expenses and honor her daughter's memory. The case serves as a painful reminder of the impact of gun violence on the community.

The investigation into the murder of Charnise Raines remains open and active. As of August 2023, the Oakland Police Department continues to seek help from the public to solve the case and bring a measure of justice to her family. A reward of up to $15,000 is being offered by the Oakland Police Department and Crime Stoppers of Oakland for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the OPD Homicide Section at 510-238-3821 or the anonymous tip line at 510-777-8572.