Alameda County
Alameda County D.A. Charges Man Suspected in Oakland Shooting and San Leandro Homicides
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price charged Joshua Ballard, 23, for a shooting at a crowded restaurant in Oakland and two fatal shootings in the parking lot of 24-Hour Fitness in San Leandro. If convicted for all charges in both cases Ballard faces approximately 88 years to life in state prison.
Special to The Post
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price charged Joshua Ballard, 23, for a shooting at a crowded restaurant in Oakland and two fatal shootings in the parking lot of 24-Hour Fitness in San Leandro.
If convicted for all charges in both cases Ballard faces approximately 88 years to life in state prison.
The investigation by the Oakland Police Department shows that around 10 p.m. on Sept. 3, Ballard got into a fight with two patrons at an In N Out Burger in Oakland.
Ballard reportedly pulled out a gun and shot two rounds into the crowded restaurant. One bullet hit an innocent bystander in the ankle. Ballard fled and an unregistered ghost gun was recovered at the scene.
In connection with the restaurant shooting, DA Price charged Ballard with three counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, along with discharge of a firearm with gross negligence and carrying a loaded firearm in a city.
Price also charged Ballard in a pair of gruesome murders, one on Sept. 13, and another on Sept. 24.
In each case the two victims were sitting in their cars in the parking lot of the 24-Hour Fitness in San Leandro. The evidence shows both victims suffered fatal head wounds after being shot during carjackings.
Ballard faces two counts of murder, carjacking, and second-degree robbery charges in this case. At the time of his arrest, he was also in possession of an illegal ghost gun.
“There are too many guns in Alameda County and too easy access to guns,” said Price. “My office is committed to reducing the easy access to guns, particularly ghost guns, and working with young people to prevent the kind of reckless disregard for life that we see in this case. This case of deadly violence traumatizes our whole community and will not be tolerated.”
