San Francisco police have arrested a woman in the fatal shooting of a security guard over the weekend at the Warfield on Market Street.
Shakia Vanderbilt of San Francisco was taken into custody Tuesday, the San Francisco Police Department said Wednesday. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Vanderbilt is charged with murder with a firearm enhancement, a count of intentionally discharging a firearm in an occupied building and a count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The victim was identified by the office of the chief medical examiner as Ulysses Tykee Davis, 47. His wife and two of his six children were present at the Mid-Market theater when he was gunned down, according to reports (opens in new tab). Davis had been working at the Warfield, which was hosting the “Baddies USA: Chapter Three” tour, a reality TV series known for arguing, shouting, and fighting.
Police Chief Derrick Lew said Vanderbilt was escorted outside the Warfield following a disruption and that a dispute ensued, culminating in the shooting at approximately 1 a.m Saturday. Lew declined to say if Vanderbilt targeted Davis, but added that there is footage of the shooting.
Vanderbilt possibly brought a gun inside the Warfield despite their screening process for attendees, Jenkins said.
“Nobody should worry that if they go watch a show at a venue that somebody is armed inside,” Jenkins said. “We want to hold those accountable who think that gun violence is okay in our city.”
Davis died in a hospital, police said.
Vanderbilt was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon. Prosecutors will seek to have her held without bail, Jenkins said.
According to Mission Local (opens in new tab), Warfield staffers said Davis, nicknamed “Bear,” was working at the event as a security guard. Bartenders told Mission Local that during the event, a chemical irritant, possibly bear mace, was released, sending a swarm of panicked attendees toward the exits. The Warfield’s management did not respond to requests for comment.
There have been 21 homicides in San Francisco this year through Sunday, according to police statistics (opens in new tab). At that time last year, there had been 19 homicides.
“We have made great strides as a city in reducing gun violence and homicides, and we will continue to devote resources into preventing violence of this kind,” Lew said.