Full Notification

San Leandro, CA - On Tuesday, April 2^nd, 2024, around 5:15 p.m., San Leandro Police responded to Safeway, located at 555 Bancroft Avenue, regarding a stabbing that just occurred.  Arriving officers found the victim, 18-year-old Zion Gooden, inside the store suffering from stab wounds to his arm and chest.  Life-saving measures were initiated, and Gooden was subsequently transported to a local trauma center.  Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Gooden succumbed to his injuries later in the evening.
 
Investigators were able to piece together what transpired through reviews of surveillance footage and interviews of witnesses at the scene.  It appeared that a dispute arose between Gooden and a suspect, a 13-year-old juvenile, over the juvenile’s interaction with an associate of Gooden’s.  The confrontation escalated into a fight, during which Gooden was stabbed by the juvenile with a knife.
 
The suspect was eventually identified from surveillance footage.
 
On Thursday, May 16^th, the suspect was safely taken into custody at his school in a neighboring jurisdiction.  A search warrant served at his residence yielded further evidence linking him to the crime.  
 
The Alameda County District Attorney’s office has since filed criminal charges against the suspect.
 
While an arrest has been made, SLPD continues to urge anyone with additional information regarding this incident to contact us via any of the following methods: Detective Sergeant J. Vincent at (510)577-3315, anonymous tip line at (510)577-3278, or Text-to-Tip at 888777 (keyword: TipSLPolice).