Gunman arrested as California parole officer is fatally shot in his Oakland office in front of horrified colleagues
Joshua Lemont Byrd, aged 40, died when his attacker stormed the Division of Adult Parole Operations office at around 12.50 pm on Thursday.
The suspect then fled from the building but was later detained by officers from Oakland Police Department (OPD).
The suspect was identified as Bryan Keith Hall, 48, who was recently paroled from prison, according to Fox KTVU.
Hall had a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing a man in the neck on Lakeshore in a case handled by OPD and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
Father-of-three Byrd was transported to Highland Hospital, where he tragically died.
On Thursday, OPD officers, Alameda County Sheriff's Office, CHP, and state patrol assembled outside the hospital when Byrd's body (shielded by an American flag) was carried out and placed into a coroner's vehicle.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis said in a statement: 'This is a heartbreaking loss. Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage - and we're forever grateful.
'We are keeping his family in our prayers and we join the men and women of CDCR [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] in mourning this tragedy.'
Byrd left behind a wife and three children, and a GoFundMe account was set up to support his family members and loved ones.
Byrd's partner Hugh Soloman explained on the page: 'Byrd was a great guy and officer. He was very dependable and cared for all. He was a Navy veteran before he joined CDCR and Parole.'
'The purpose of the donation is to help the family in the uncertain and tragic time. The honor box will show his family how much he was loved and honored.'
The motive of the shooting remained unclear and was not yet released.
Byrd's death's the first line-of-duty loss for CDCR since 2018.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
At least six killed in shooting incident in Bangkok
BANGKOK, July 28 (Reuters) - At least six people were killed at a market in a shooting incident in the Thai capital Bangkok on Monday, a police official said. The number of fatalities includes the gunman who took his own life, Charin Gopatta, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told Reuters. Four security guards at the Or To Ko market, which sells agricultural produce and local food, were killed by the gunman, as well as a woman, according to the Erawan Emergency Medical Centre that monitors Bangkok hospitals.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Loving mom' suffers horrific tragedy while enjoying daughter's softball game under shady tree
A 'loving mom' from Pennsylvania was killed in a freak accident while enjoying her daughter's softball game last week. Gendie Miller, 49, and her husband Bill were rooting for their 16-year-old daughter Marlee on Wednesday when they decided to get out of the 90-degree heat and sit under a tree, WPXI reports. As the teen was working on her drills just before 7pm, Bill said he heard a cracking sound that jolted him from his seat. 'I said to my wife, "Let's go,"' he recounted to WTAE. 'I jumped out of my chair, felt a small branch of some sort that grazed my leg. And I immediately turned to my right to look back at her and she was lying face down with large, multiple branches and limbs.' Gendie had apparently been struck in the head by one of the branches, which Bill said were between 10 to 12 inches thick. Good Samaritans immediately ran over to help remove the branches off of her limp body, Bill said, but the damage was too severe. She died on her way to the local hospital. 'With the heavy load of the type of branch and limb, it was devastating,' the grieving husband said. 'And I can tell you that she didn't die from her heart, because her heart was too big.' He explained that his wife of 17 years was known for her kind spirit, as well as her love for their travel softball family in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. 'She would never miss a practice or an event, high school, travel ball, wherever it was,' Bill said. 'That was who she was.' Family friend Luka Bompiani also described Gendie as 'such a loving woman, caring woman and a mother who lived for her daughter. 'And she put everything she had into Marlee and everything she had into Bill,' he said. 'It's just sad.' In a statement, Sheri Burdett, the District 9 USA Softball of Pennsylvania commissioner, said she was 'deeply saddened to learn of the tragic situation that occurred before the start of our tournament.' 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the Miller family during this incredibly difficult time,' she said. 'At this moment, our sole focus is on supporting them in any way we can.' McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko also said his 'thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. 'An evening that started like any other, with families and friends gathered in the park for a game, has ended in tragedy after this horrible accident.' Bill said he remains in shock about what happened, while their teenage daughter is 'being very strong.' Still, community members are rallying around the family, with one of Marlee's coaches on her Nitro Fastpitch team setting up an online fundraiser to help Bill with the expenses related to his wife's untimely passing. 'Between medical/ambulance bills, funeral items and initial lost wages, Bill and Marlee could use all the hope they can get,' Michael Mull writes in the GoFundMe, which had already raised nearly $48,000 for the family as of Sunday. 'Although it doesn't bring back their loved one, it takes a bit of the burden off of coming up with funds they don't have right now for something so unexpected.' 'You never know when your time comes and this was such a freak accident that they definitely need the community support around them,' added Bompiani. Yet the family friend expressed his hope that the family will be OK. He noted that he had spoken with Bill on Friday, when the softball coach told him Marlee looked up at him earlier that day and said, 'Hey dad, we got this. We're gonna get through this, we got this together.' 'When I heard that [it] just brought tears to my eyes,' Bompiani said.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
White House in 'full-bore panic mode' over Epstein files and FBI 'breaking at the seams'
President Trump is reportedly furious over the botched handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files as The White House launches into 'full-bore panic mode' in a desperate attempt to change the subject. The Justice Department and FBI have come under fire as they scramble to end the ongoing fallout after Attorney General Pam Bondi's so-called 'communications failure' snowballed into a crisis. Trump is now fuming about the inconsistent Epstein narratives emerging from Washington D.C. as the saga continues to dominate headlines. 'This is a pretty substantial distraction,' a White House source told The Washington Post, citing 'nearly a dozen people close to the situation.' 'While many are trying to keep the unity, in many ways, the DOJ and the FBI are breaking at the seams. Many are wondering how sustainable this is going to be for all the parties involved - be it the FBI director or attorney general.' Any attempts by Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to tamp down the rampant speculation about Epstein have only fueled more conspiracy theories and negative attention. 'They completely miscalculated the fever pitch to which they built this up,' Stephen A. Saltzburg, a former Justice Department official told the Post. 'Now, they seem to be in full-bore panic mode, trying to change the subject and flailing in an effort to make sense of what makes no sense.' But Trump is refusing to make the one move that could silence his critics and reset the narrative. 'He does not want to create a bigger spectacle by firing anyone,' the source told the Post. So Bondi, Patel and FBI deputy director Dan Bongino continue their fruitless campaign to end the speculation around the death of one of the most infamous billionaire of the 21st century. The release of security footage from outside Epstein's jail cell from the night he took his own life - an attempt to stop conspiracy theories that he was murdered - was Patel and Bongino's idea, multiple sources revealed. However, the video missing three minutes of footage from that night made things worse. Both are now privately upset that they haven't been able to release more of the Epstein files with Bongino on the verge of quitting as all three play the blame game with one another. Bongino's frustration came to a head in a stunning post to X over the weekend, revealing he has discovered matters that have 'shocked me down to my core' during his time in office. He shared a cryptic message to his social media in which he vowed to uncover 'the truth' amid mounting criticism of his handling of the Epstein files. Bongino added: 'We cannot run a Republic like this. I'll never be the same after learning what I've learned. A source inside the DOJ told Daily Mail that Bongino was ready to stand down if Attorney General Pam Bondi didn't. Todd Blanche, the president's former attorney and now Bondi's second in command at the DOJ, denied any beef between his department and the FBI in a statement. 'The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo's composition and release is patently false,' he said. The fallout of that memo continues, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared in the Epstein files. Trump on Friday denied ever being briefed by Attorney General Pam Bondi that his name was in the files. 'No, I was never briefed. No,' he told reporters after he landed in Scotland to visit his golf courses. But Bondi briefed Trump during a May 2025 meeting that his name was found in the Epstein documents 'multiple times,' according to reports. Other high-profile individuals are also named in the investigation about Epstein's sex crimes. Just because the president is named in the files does not implicate him in any wrongdoing or connect him to Epstein's child sex trafficking crimes. Patel and Dan Bongino (pictured) are now privately upset that they haven't been able to release more of the Epstein files with Bongino on the verge of quitting as all three play the blame game with one another Todd Blanche (pictured), the president's former attorney and now Bondi's second in command at the DOJ, denied any beef between his department and the FBI The Wall Street Journal originally broke the news of Bondi's briefing to Trump. The Justice Department told the news outlet that Trump was made aware of the findings of the Epstein files as part of the 'routine briefing.' Bondi also allegedly acknowledged that the administration should withhold the files due to them containing images of child sexual abuse Blanche reportedly said that nothing was found in the files that would mandate an additional investigation - or even prosecution. 'As part of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings,' they told the Journal. White House communications director Steven Cheung slammed the report as 'fake news' in a statement to the Daily Mail. 'The fact is that the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about,' he said when the report came out earlier this week. But, try as he might, Trump cannot move on from questions about Epstein, who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting charges related to sex crimes. His death, ruled to be a suicide, sparked endless conspiracy theories that questioned how he may have really died and who among the rich and powerful would have benefitted from it. The president associated with Epstein and British socialite Maxwell in the 1980s and 1990s. Epstein's right-hand woman and former lover Ghislaine Maxwell was questioned this week by Deputy Attorney General Blanche. She is serving 20 years behind bars for his involvement in Epstein's crimes. The 63-year-old made it clear earlier this month that she was willing to speak in front of Congress about the case. Maxwell appears to be angling for a pardon from the president after she 'didn't hold back' during secret questioning session. Her attorney David Oscar Markus claimed that she spoke with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about '100 different people' related to Epstein's child sex trafficking ring. 'They asked about every possible thing you could imagine – everything,' Markus told reporters. He also said Maxwell is being used as the 'scapegoat' in the entire Epstein case and has been 'treated unfairly for the last five years.' Her attorney said that they had not put in a formal request with the White House for a pardon for Maxwell following the conclusion of Day 2 of questioning. But Markus didn't rule out taking that action in the future, saying 'things are happening so quickly.' 'The president said earlier he has the power to do so, we hope he exercises that power in the right way,' he said of a potential commutation. Trump refused to rule out invoking his presidential pardon powers for Maxwell when asked on Friday morning. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I haven't thought about,' he said. But, asked again about the matter later Friday, Trump, meanwhile, declined to talk about Maxwell and said 'this is no time to be talking about pardons.' 'I really have nothing to say about it. She is being talked to by a very smart man, a very good man, Todd Blanche. And I don't know anything about the conversation. I haven't really been following it,' he said. 'A lot of people are asking me about pardons. This is no time to be talking about pardons,' he added. Meanwhile, over the course of two days, Maxwell and her attorney have spent more than nine hours answering Blanche's questions. It's not clear when or if the DOJ will release what was learned in the meetings. Markus said Maxwell is grateful to have had the chance to sit-down with Blanche. 'This was the first opportunity she's ever been given to answer questions about what happened,' Markus said. 'The truth will come out about what happened with Mr. Epstein and she's the person whose answering those questions.' A growing fringe effort to get Trump to pardon Maxwell has unfolded after the Justice Department rejected her effort to have her conviction on child sex trafficking charges thrown out. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors. She was convicted in 2021 on five counts related to sex trafficking and conspiracy. It's unclear what she can reveal that isn't already public and the closed-door meeting is fueling skepticism over the handling of the Epstein files review. Maxwell is also on the books to testify before Congress from prison on August 11.
