Man Dies in Southside Shooting

Police have identified Berkeley resident Maceo Smith as the victim of the fatal shooting that occurred yesterday near the corner of Durant Avenue and Bowditch Street.

The shooting followed what police called a verbal "back and forth" between Smith, 33, and another male at the intersection.

A second male victim in the incident is being treated at Alameda County Medical Center for non life threatening gunshot wounds. Police are not saying how he is connected to the incident at this time, but said "he is a victim of a violent crime."

Berkeley police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said Smith is not a UC Berkeley student and is in no way affiliated with the university.

UC Berkeley sophomore June Bott said she was waiting for the 52L bus in front of CK Mini Market on her way to convocation when she saw a group of men walk by and stop on the corner of Durant and Bowditch to talk.

Bott said that after the conversation went on for several minutes, she heard gunshots.

"I just heard the shots, heard three or four," she said.

Bott said she then walked into CK Mini Market and when she looked out she saw the victim in a white T-shirt covered in blood, saying "I've been shot, I've been shot."

She said the victim ran from the intersection toward Saint Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Theological College and then back across the street to the parking lot east of Top Dog.

According to Bott, the victim then met up with a woman in the parking lot who was trying to get him into a car, but he already appeared to be limp.

She said the woman then called for by-standers to help her get the victim into a car.

Marty Keith, a recent UC Berkeley alumnus, said he was across the street at St. Joseph's seminary when he heard six shots in rapid succession.

He said the victim ran to a 1998 blue Honda Accord in the parking lot and got in the backseat. Keith and three or four other men ran to the car where they found the victim lying face down in the back seat with wounds to his chest.

Keith said the men pulled the victim out of the car onto his back and began to administer CPR, at which point police arrived.

He said police and fire personnel administered first aid for approximately 30 minutes before stopping.

Smith sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead by Berkeley Fire Department paramedics at the scene in Berkeley's fifth homicide of the year.

Bott said she saw two to three "younger guys" scatter after she heard the shots fired. She said one of them was covered in blood and drove away in a silver Cadillac.

Following witness reports, police said they pursued a silver Cadillac to Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland. The driver of the car, who police are calling the second victim in the shooting, was detained and interviewed by homicide detectives, but has not been arrested, Kusmiss said Tuesday.

According to the statement, the driver was not a UC Berkeley student and is not affiliated with the university.

Police closed down Durant between Telegraph Avenue and College Avenue for several hours yesterday as they processed the crime scene.

Keith said he saw the shooter drop a hat. Police have marked the hat, which is red and white with a logo, as evidence.

Another witness to the incident, Adolfo Salazar said he saw a black male running down Durant toward Telegraph with a gun, although other witnesses said the man running down Durant did not appear to be carrying a gun.

This is the second homicide in Berkeley within the last two weeks.

UC Berkeley senior Christopher Wootton, 21, was fatally stabbed May 3 near the sorority Chi Omega, less than one mile away from Tuesday's shooting.

Police have arrested 20-year-old Berkeley resident Andrew Hoeft-Edenfield in connection with the stabbing.

Berkeley police detectives say they are asking anyone with details about the shooting to call the Berkeley police department homicide detail at 510-981-5741.

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