A hearing began Thursday to determine whether a man will go to trial after being accused of killing one man and wounding another in front of the San Diego Central Library.
The charges against Kenneth Chaney, 23, include murder and attempted murder. Trey Walker, 20, was killed on May 23, 2023, while a 24-year-old man was injured.
Prosecutors allege that the deadly noontime shooting arose out of a dispute over possession of a backpack.
The man whose backpack was stolen requested anonymity during his testimony, but identified himself as Walker’s friend.
He said that while ordering food at a taco shop two blocks away from the library, someone snatched his bag. He chased after the man he believed was the thief, cornering him outside a parking garage.
Surveillance footage played in court showed a man wearing a pink ski mask, whom prosecutors allege is Chaney, pull out a gun and point it at the backpack owner.
The two men spoke for a few moments and it was revealed that the gunman’s associate had taken the bag, the owner testified.