An Oakland man has been sentenced to three years in county jail after admitting to a weapons charge tied to the chaotic Juneteenth mass shooting near Lake Merritt in June 2024, a night of gunfire that left more than a dozen people wounded along the lakefront.
Prosecutors said 29-year-old JaJuan Kelly pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of a firearm by a felon. With time served and conduct credits factored in, the agreement effectively adds up to a three-year term in county custody. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Roz Silvaggio signed off on the deal, which prosecutors and court records say significantly reduced Kelly’s exposure compared with the felony indictment he was originally facing, according to The Mercury News.
The violence erupted the night of June 19, 2024, as unsanctioned sideshow activity around Lake Merritt spilled into fights along Grand Avenue, authorities said. Roughly 5,000 people had crowded into the area for Juneteenth festivities before the mood flipped and gunfire broke out. Police later collected more than 50 shell casings and described multiple shooters trading shots, leaving victims in their 20s and 30s with injuries that ranged from minor to critical, reporting that was first laid out by the San Francisco Chronicle…