OAKLAND — A North Oakland barber who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder has been released from jail and prosecutors haven’t charged him with a crime, court records show.
The 35-year-old barbershop owner allegedly shot and killed 30-year-old Tariq Roddy Figueroa at around 1 p.m. on Jan. 1, the first homicide of 2026 in Oakland. He was initially arrested on suspicion of murder after a witness identified him as a shooter.
But police later obtained surveillance footage showing Figueroa was armed with a pistol when he approached the barbershop on the 4500 block of Market Street, authorities said.
Figueroa and the barber reportedly knew one another and there was a conflict brewing between them, authorities said. They argued that afternoon and the barber told Figueroa to leave, according to authorities.
Then, upon seeing Figueroa approach with a gun, the barber grabbed a rifle from his shop and shot Figueroa at least once, authorities said.
Police say they found multiple shell casings from the rifle, and that the barber took his gun and fled the area after the shooting.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment about whether they’d officially reviewed the case and declined to file charges.
Staff writer Harry Harris contributed to this report