Bay Area Rapid Transit police are asking for help to identify the man accused of shooting and killing a man on a BART train in Oakland over the weekend.
The photos show the suspect exiting the West Oakland station shortly after the shooting, which occurred on a San Francisco International Airport-bound train as it was approaching the West Oakland
station at about 7:45 p.m. Saturday.
"We're seeking the public's help in identifying him. Somebody out there knows this individual," said Rainey who deemed the shooting a "pretty brazen, random act."
BART police describe the suspect as a black man in his late 20s to early 30s who is about 6 feet 2 inches tall with a skinny build, broad shoulders and a scruffy face. Clad in a long green trench coat over a dark hooded sweatshirt with its hood up and dark pants, he was carrying a dark backpack and was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.
Police said witnesses reported that the suspect used a handgun to shoot the victim multiple times and then fled on foot from the train at the West Oakland station.
Officers who responded to the shooting provided first aid to the victim but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Rainey said authorities are still having a hard time identifying the passenger who was shot dead.
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Joining Rainey at the news conference was a police investigator who said it appears that the victim was between the ages of 19 and 25 and may have been Hispanic.
Rainey said a knife was recovered at the station, but couldn't confirm if it was related to the shooting.
Investigators don't know the motive behind the shooting, Rainey said, adding, "We don’t know the relationship between the victim and the shooter."
Rainey said there were witnesses on the train during the shooting, but didn’t answer when asked if the surveillance cameras on board were working or if the incident was caught on camera. Citing the ongoing investigation, he noted that there are many surveillance cameras throughout the BART system that operate 16 hours a day.
Asked why it took four days for BART to release a photo of the suspect, Rainey replied, "We were delayed because we've been working with our law enforcement officers to identify the suspect."
Rainey said he understands that BART riders are concerned about their safety but said shootings on trains are very rare. This is the first one that has happened in the six years he's been chief, he said, adding that serious crime on the BART system declined by 10 percent last year.
People with information about the suspect are asked to call (510) 464-7040 and ask for Detective Sanchez or Sgt. Power. People can also call (510) 464-7011 to make an anonymous tip.
