Shootings

Rising Sun fundraiser to honor homicide victim Marcel Jones

Marcel "was focused, skilled, dedicated, helpful, humble, and kind," Julia Hatton of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity wrote on GoFundMe.

Marcel Jones, 37, was killed last month at the Berkeley homeless shelter where he lived. Rising Sun

Marcel Jones, who was killed last month at the Berkeley homeless shelter where he lived, was about to complete a job skills program in the building trades.

Now, his program has launched a fundraiser to help honor him in death.

Jones "was focused, skilled, dedicated, helpful, humble, and kind," Julia Hatton, CEO of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, wrote on GoFundMe.

As part of his pre-apprenticeship program, Jones, 37, was "committed to finding work that would allow him to afford stable housing and support his family," Hatton wrote.

He would have graduated from the program in the next week.

"Marcel was this cohort's recipient of the Arvin Naeole Award for Strength, Endurance, Resilience, and Leadership, and was on his way to a career in the construction trades," Hatton wrote. "Marcel's death is keenly felt by all who knew him, particularly by his mother Louise and his three young children."

Hatton said Rising Sun would use any money raised from the GoFundMe to help Jones' family with funeral expenses, "which can be significant."

The organization put $2,000 toward those expenses to help seed the fundraiser.

"Marcel deserves a fitting resting place and memorial that recognizes his humanity and his contributions to this world," Hatton wrote.

She described the circumstances of Jones' death as "devastating."

Jones was killed in a fatal shooting in Berkeley on Aug. 25.

Mark Dowling, 62, has been charged with Jones' murder as well as a hate crime allegation.

Dowling and Jones were bunkmates in the Harrison House shelter program, which is now dubbed Ursula Sherman Village and overseen by Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS).

As of this week, Dowling remains in custody without bail at Santa Rita Jail. He is set to enter a plea Oct. 7.

Jones' death was Berkeley's fourth homicide of the year.