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Artist Shot In Oakland: Antonio Ramos Killed While Painting Mural

By Jennifer Deutschmann
Published on: 08:45 PST, Sep 30, 2015

An artist was shot in Oakland while painting a mural on a freeway overpass. Authorities confirmed Antonio Ramos, 27, was participating in the Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project when he was killed.

According to reports, the shooting occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday on the Interstate 580 overpass on West Street.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting are still under investigation. However, as reported by ABC 7, witnesses said the suspect was “messing with” Ramos’ painting supplies. When he asked the man to step away, he opened fire, shooting the artist multiple times.

Antonio Ramos was still alive when officers arrived on scene. However, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital.

Authorities have not yet made an arrest or identified a suspect. However, as the shooting occurred during the day in a high-traffic area, it is likely that someone witnessed the heinous crime.

The artist shot in Oakland will be remembered as a generous and talented man. Fellow artist Dave Young Kim said he knew Ramos for three years. In an interview with SF Gate, Kim said a lot of Antonio Ramos’ work was voluntary. Although he was not getting paid, the artist was conscientious about his work.

“That’s just the kind of kid he was… He was super willing to help. He was very reliable and just had the sort of naivete that was so fun to be around.”

Although he focused his efforts on painting, Kim said his late friend was also interested in producing music and films.

Ironically, the artist was shot while working on the Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project, which is a part of a larger campaign to end violence in the community.

As discussed on the Super Heroes website, the public art project was developed by Attitudinal Healing Connection, which encourages at-risk families to participate in community art programs. Essentially, the organization strives to promote “healing and creative programs to at-risk communities… through creative expression… with a focus on social justice and self-development… ”

As reported by CBS News, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called the Attitudinal Healing Connection one of the most vital resources within the Oakland community.

The third mural, which Antonio Ramos was working on when he was killed, was designed by students at West Oakland Middle School. For the project, the students were encouraged to “re-imagine themselves as superheroes that solve problems in their communities.”

At the time of his death, Ramos was working on a scene depicting a young man wearing a hoodie. In the mural, the young man stares into the distance — toward a row of houses with a Cadillac in the foreground. Like the students who designed the mural, the subject seems to be looking toward a better future.

Unfortunately, the artist’s death underlines the level of violence within the Oakland community. Less than two hours before Ramos was shot, a body was found “wrapped in a plastic sheet” about a mile away.

In 2014, the city had 80 reported homicides, 411 reports of assaults with a deadly weapon, 2,657 aggravated assaults, and more than 11,000 burglaries.

Authorities said they are in the process of interviewing witnesses, including other artists who were working on the mural. They will review surveillance footage captured on cameras, which are placed throughout the community. At this time, they have not identified a suspect in the death of the artist shot in Oakland or the victim found in the plastic sheet. It is unclear whether the two crimes are related.

The artist shot in Oakland was greatly admired for his creativity and service to the community. Antonio Ramos’ family and friends are stunned that he was killed while working on a project to reduce violence.

[Image via meunierd / Shutterstock.com]

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