The 17-year-old who was being held by police in connection with the Oct. 30 shooting of a 14-year-old Berkeley High freshman has been released from custody.
The 17-year-old had been detained for almost a week at Juvenile Hall in San Leandro after Berkeley police arrested him in connection with the shooting of Larry Malik Grayson. He has since been released, according to Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Matt Golde.
Berkeley police issued a press release upon arresting the 17-year-old stating he would be charged with attempted murder — or murder if Grayson died, which he did. The 17-year-old, however, has not been charged with any crime. Authorities are not releasing his name since he is a minor.
“I decided to conditionally release the young man,” said Golde. “There will be a continuing investigation. The case is not closed. At some point I will revisit filing charges.”
Authorities are still investigating what happened the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 30, at 1521 Alcatraz Avenue. The 17-year-old and Grayson, who were close friends, were inside the apartment when a young male called 911 at 3:26 p.m. to report a shooting. The 17-year-old then went into the courtyard of the apartment building where he appeared distraught, according to neighbors. His shirt was splattered with blood.
The grandmother of the 17-year-old told Berkeleyside that night that she thought the shooting must have been an accident since the two boys were friends.
Golde, speaking theoretically and not specifically about this case, said shooting a person unintentionally can result in a murder charge. That situation is different than shooting someone accidentally. Shooting someone unintentionally can often involve a lot of negligence.
Grayson was rushed to Highland Hospital where he lingered until Thursday, Nov. 4. His family removed him from life support that afternoon and he died. He was a freshman in Berkeley High’s Academic Choice program and played on the freshman football team.
Grayson’s friends have set up a “Rest in Peace Malik Grayson” page on Facebook.
The commemorative video at the top of this article was put together by miymiyNtooti. The video below was put together by Chloe.
