People outside the Starry Plough on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2025, before a jam to memorialize Anthony Anderson, a 40-year-old trumpet player who was shot and killed on Feb. 9 outside his San Leandro home by deputies from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Credit: Tony Hicks
They began gathering outside the Starry Plough in Berkeley Thursday about an hour before the 9 p.m. jam to memorialize Anthony Anderson, the 40-year-old trumpet player who was shot and killed Monday morning outside his San Leandro home by deputies from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
People cried, hugged, and told stories punctuated with laughter. Some held flowers, others carried instrument cases over their shoulders. One younger man broke out a violin and played on the corner.
Love for Anderson, who attended Berkeley High and for years hosted weekly jams at the Irish bar in South Berkeley, brought them there.
“He just brought people together,’ said bassist Victor Little, who played with Anderson in various projects. “It’s the scene — everybody kind of knows everybody. Everybody is intertwined. He was just a giving guy. A good spirit.”
The sheriff’s office released a statement Thursday which said Anderson called emergency dispatch at 3:19 a.m. on Feb. 9 and said he wanted to go on a “killing rampage” and asked to speak with someone in law enforcement. The department said Anderson told a dispatcher he had a firearm, then gave them his location.
Deputies arrived at Anderson’s home in the 16000 block of Selborne Drive in San Leandro. They said Anderson exited the home and “presented an immediate threat to deputies.” The statement continued: “Two deputies discharged their department-issued firearms, striking Mr. Anderson. Deputies immediately rendered life saving measures; however, Mr. Anderson succumbed to his injuries.”
The statement said Anderson pointed an object at deputies “designed to resemble a firearm.”
A man looks at a memorial for Anthony Anderson set up at at the Starry Plough where a jam was held on Feb. 12, 2025 to remember the 40-year-old trumpet player who was shot and killed on Feb. 9 outside his San Leandro home by deputies from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Credit: Tony Hicks
Killing will be investigated by California DA
Because the killing involved law enforcement shooting an unarmed man, state law requires the California Department of Justice to investigate the killing. State Attorney General Rob Bonta confirmed in a statement Feb. 9 his office is investigating.
There was very little talk Thursday night at the Plough about what caused Anderson’s death. His friends preferred to talk about “Ant” — his boundless enthusiasm, his tendency to show up late at night wanting to play, his love of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and the word “glory,” and his big heart.
Organizers made it clear the event wasn’t a protest — it was a celebration of Anderson’s life with the people with whom he made great music, and even better memories.
Singer Lee Hoffman met Anderson in 2011 and they played in jams together at various venues.
“It would just be random people, just improv the whole time,” Hoffman said. “People would be coming in and out, just like 50 people throughout the night. He was really talented; he literally just organized constantly. I showed up at his house before midnight and he was like, ‘Let’s go grab a drum kit and play music.’ He was somebody who just put his whole heart into the community.”
Matthew Major teaches violin in Oakland schools and met Anderson last year. He said musicians at local jam nights don’t always welcome violinists, but Anderson was all-in.
“He was amazing. He was a great leader. He was a great player,” he said Major, who had played outside the Plough a few minutes earlier. “Anthony was more than cool with (the violin). Anthony was extremely welcoming. He was the one who invited me to play and keep playing, and no one’s ever really done that.”
Bassist Dan Yockey started playing with Anderson at various venues 15 years ago.
He said he can’t count how many bands resulted from Anderson putting musicians together.
“He could connect people like no one I ever met. And he never got tired of doing it,” Yockey said. “He had energy — I don’t know where it came from. He made this music scene by himself.”
Trumpet player Mario Silva said he and Anderson both taught privately out of the same Pleasanton music store.
“We played in a lot of the same bands — he’d sub for me, I’d sub for him,” Silva said, smiling at Yockey. “We both played for his band back in the day. He was so good at it.”
Patricia Guzman knew Anderson through her musician boyfriend. She said she never saw him play. She instead remembered his ability to connect in other ways.
“He would always come over to our house, every time with the Blue Ribbon beer, warm like room temperature,” she said, laughing. “He was such a good friend. We had so many conversations about relationships and just being friends, you know? He was just a good guy. A lot of people miss him because he was one of those people.”
‘He always made people feel really seen and heard’
Lev Schlaffer owns Ashby Arts Space at 2035 Ashby Ave. He said Anderson got musicians paying gigs, venues in which to play, and created events in places that didn’t have them.
“He was this sparkling beacon of radiant energy,” Schlaffer said.” He always made people feel really seen and heard. “He just was a person who was very human to human and was able to bring people together.”
Jimmy Leslie writes for Guitar Player magazine and occasionally played with Anderson’s band Oakadelic.
“I hung out with him a lot,” Leslie said. “He’s the guy you get the text from (at) midnight and you’re thinking you’re going to bed. He’s like ‘It’s just getting going, we got a backline, come over here.’ He’s the guy tempting you to come out and stay out all night.”
Friends have started a GoFundMe page in Anderson’s name to help raise funds for his funeral and memorial service, as well as other costs. As of noon Friday, the crowdfunding had collected just over $18,000 donated by 244 people.
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