This Sunday morning, over forty community members gathered in a quiet neighborhood with sweeping views of the East Bay to mourn the shootings of their neighbors Bryan Walker and Michelle Min.
The man and woman were shot to death Friday morning outside a home in the Oakland Hills and died on the scene. The couple ran the Berkeley-based fashion brand, Bryn Walker, with Walker working as CEO and Min as designer for the company.
On Friday, Oakland Police did not disclose what they believe happened. Oakland police Asst. Chief Casey Johnson said in a livestream that “we are not ruling anything out,” when asked if they believed the incident was a murder-suicide. “Everything is a possibility until we can fully investigate,” he added, noting that there was a gun found at the scene. Oakland police on Sunday did not share additional information regarding the shooting.
Neighbors take part in a community gathering on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026 in Oakland, Calif. Over 40 community members gathered in the Oakland hills above the campus of UC Berkeley to remember their neighbors Bryan Walker and his wife Michelle Min who were shot and killed on Friday. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
In response to the tragic deaths, neighbors in the Panoramic Hill community – which sits in the Oakland Hills on the border of Berkeley and Oakland – came together to grieve and remember the lives of the couple.
At a public trail in the middle of the neighborhood where the couple was killed, neighbors came together to speak about the tragedy, at one point singing “Amazing Grace.” Many wept and embraced as some laid multicolored flowers or brought cards in memory of the pair.
“We’re reminded how important it is to be in each other’s lives and show up in these times of personal isolation and struggle, just as those who were closest to them did right up until the last day,” said Daniella Salzman, a neighbor who help organize the event. “Both Bryan and Michelle were well-loved and they impacted many lives … We will miss them greatly and our hearts are with all those who loved them and are in mourning.”
Some neighbors, who believed that the incident was a murder-suicide, noted that Walker had become “mentally unstable” prior to the shooting. They asked their neighbors to watch over each other and to urge those with mental health issues to seek help immediately.
For some, the loss came especially hard given the small, tight community, including for Jerry Wachtel, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years.
“This is a very close-knit neighborhood as is. People do take care of each other – I think more so than any community where I’ve ever lived,” said Wachtel, who knew Walker from their time together on the neighborhood association and recalled helping Walker resolve some neighbor disputes. “This is a community and a neighborhood that is very peaceful, very private, we’re sort of off the beaten track. … This shooting shattered my sense of protection that I’ve known for many years.”
Janice Thomas ,center, speaks during a community gathering on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026 in Oakland, Calif. Over 40 community members gathered in the Oakland hills above the campus of UC Berkeley to remember their neighbors Bryan Walker and his wife Michelle Min who were shot and killed on Friday. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
Despite the sad occasion, some noted glimpses of joy in its midst. For Danica O’Leary, who lives in the neighborhood and helped organize the event, the memorial also served as a testament to “the rich connection and historical legacy on that hill.”
“Always with darkness comes some light, and it was just beautiful to witness everyone gathering together: Just to be in community and to recommit to each other, to be neighborly, to be kind,” she said.
Staff photographer Aric Crabb contributed to this report.
If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.