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Noel Turner, Jr. died about 5 p.m. Saturday at Highland Hospital due to complications related to a gunshot wound to the head, making him the second homicide victim in Berkeley since the beginning of the year. The incident also intensifies the police department’s so-far fruitless search for information on two men seen running from the scene of that crime. 

But the community has thus far been of little help to police in their efforts to find the suspects responsible for taking the life of 29-year-old Turner and 28-year-old Rammar Johnson at approximately 3:30 a.m. last Tuesday in the 3300 block of King Street in south Berkeley. 

“We are looking for the community’s help in this one,” said Lt. Cynthia Harris, spokesperson for the Berkeley Police Department. “This has been a very difficult one for us to go on, because we have no motive and we have no descriptions. All we have is that two people were seen running away from the scene of the crime.” 

To further complicate the BPD’s efforts is that the shooting occurred at such an obscure hour of the evening and that many southside residents have been deeply disturbed by the recent trend of violence in their neighborhood. 

“Yes, they are upset,” Harris said. “Many of them are older, and they are very concerned about the recent violence.” 

But at this point there are no leads in the investigation. 

What is known about the shooting is that the victims were found inside the front seat of either Turner’s or a relative of Turner’s car. Both victims are from Oakland and, according to Harris, are not at all familiar to the BPD. 

Police are still investigating whether the shooting may have been drug-related. Anyone who may have information about the case is urged to contact the city's homicide division at (510) 981-5741.