Man, 20, charged with shooting in Berkeley over video gaming
Police say the shooting was related to "trash talk" that stemmed from PlayStation video gaming online.
A man police say has links to a Berkeley gang has been charged with a shooting on Sixth Street last year that left a 17-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the neck, according to court papers.
The shooting on June 13, 2022, in the 2300 block of Sixth Street in southwest Berkeley, was related to "trash talk" that stemmed from PlayStation video gaming online, the Berkeley Police Department wrote in court papers that recently became available.
As a result of the online feud, Berkeley police wrote, the 17-year-old set up a fight with LeiAndre Cox, who was 19 at the time. They agreed to meet near Eighth Street and Channing Way, according to court papers.
But when the 17-year-old showed up, BPD said, it wasn't just Cox he had to fight. A group of people, including Cox, who had arrived in two separate vehicles attacked him shortly before 5:30 p.m.
The teen ran off, police wrote, but Cox caught up with him near Sixth and Channing and shot him in the neck.
Emilie Raguso
When police arrived, they found the wounded victim and a handgun at the scene but the shooter was no longer there, according to court papers.
The victim was taken to Highland Hospital for treatment and survived.
After securing a warrant, police found social media messages that showed Cox agreeing to the fight and "in possession of a firearm identical to the one recovered" at the scene, according to court records.
BPD also wrote that they found a message from Cox in which he appeared to be trying to buy a firearm.
"Excuse me," he wrote to the apparent seller, according to court papers. "I hope you are doing splendid. It has come to my attention that you sells firearms and I am interested in purchasing one. N----- keep testing me and I need a pole to show them I'm not playing around. Do you take credit?"
Cellphone records placed Cox in the area of the shooting and video surveillance also helped solve the case, Berkeley police wrote.
In court papers, police identified Cox, who lives in Union City, as a rap musician associated with the Baba gang in Berkeley.
After publication, a relative of Cox disputed the police claims regarding any alleged gang associations.
Police tried to find Cox last year but were unsuccessful, according to court papers. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
Cox was arrested in San Mateo County on April 14 and brought back to Berkeley several days later for questioning regarding last year's shooting, according to court papers.
LeiAndre Cox. BPD
The Alameda County district attorney's office charged Cox last week with assault with a semiautomatic firearm along with a number of enhancements.
Cox, who turned 20 shortly after the shooting, entered a not-guilty plea Thursday.
His bail was set at $100,000 and he is no longer in custody, according to booking records online.
Cox is scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing May 1 at Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland.
This story was updated after publication to include a comment from a relative of Cox who disputed the police claims regarding any alleged gang associations.
