Gunman murders student

EDITOR's NOTE: This article originally published in The Advocate on Feb. 8, 2012. To view original post, visit AccentAdvocate.com.

A 22-year-old automotive services student was shot and killed on his day first day of class this semester in front of his Richmond apartment complex.

Edwin Martinez, who first enrolled at Contra Costa College last fall, died Jan. 23 when he and his older sister, Jenny, were heading back to campus just before 7 p.m. from their apartment on Nevin Avenue and 21st Street.

Richmond Police Detective Tim Gray said Edwin and Jenny Martinez, born about a year apart from each other, were in her black four-door Toyota Corolla at 6:45 p.m. and were preparing to come to school for the evening when they heard four to five gunshots a block away.

They ducked down into their seats as the shots from Nevin Avenue and 22nd Street rang louder with each shot, working their way closer to the next block and their car.

As the two stuck their heads up to see if it was safe to leave, Laquian Morrison, the 31-year-old suspect arrested for Edwin Martinez's murder, allegedly fired a second round of shots into the car. Two bullets hit Martinez in the passenger seat, Gray said.

Before he died, Gray said, Martinez reached over to his sister in the driver's seat, grabbed her arm and said her name, "Jenny."

Gray said Martinez's sister then panicked, driving around the corner, not knowing where to go, and ended up back at the apartment complex.

Richmond police dispatchers were alerted of the gunfire by the city's shot spotter system, Detective Nicole Abetkov said, to which officers responded and made contact with Martinez's sister.

"He was in the passenger seat and pronounced dead at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds," Abetkov said. "There is nothing showing specifically why (the suspect) shot at the car."

Gray said Morrison was arrested three nights after the shooting, on Jan. 26, on suspicion of murder. The investigation, however, remains ongoing.

"It's pretty simplistic, as far as the facts that occurred. What's not clear at this point is the why," Gray said. "We don't know that he was a target. We're just as puzzled about why as anyone else."

Gray said there are unconfirmed reports of Morrison initially firing at a white or light-colored car on Nevin Avenue and 22nd Street when the vehicle and suspect turned right toward the apartment complex. After the car evaded the suspect, Abetkov said, he turned and fired at the Martinez's car.

"It's an unfortunate incident," Abetkov said. "These people didn't deserve this."

Martinez enrolled in automotive services and athletics classes at CCC last semester.

Automotive services professor Nancy Rupprecht and men's soccer coach Rudy Zeller said Martinez started the fall 2011 semester, but disappeared about halfway through, in September.

"One day he didn't show up, he didn't answer his phone — it was discontinued," Zeller said.

"Next thing I hear, on (Jan. 24 or 25), he's dead," Zeller said. "I was just blown away."

Martinez is the second of Zeller's players to be killed since last spring. Andrew Manriquez, 19, was gunned down at 10:30 p.m. on April 8 in Richmond.

"It's an insane world," Zeller said.

The day after Martinez was killed, his automotive services professor, Lucile Beatty, set up an alter to keep Martinez on her students' minds.

On Jan. 24, Beatty announced Martinez's death to her class and they shared a moment of silence.

"I love teaching, making connections with students," Beatty said, tearing up. "For that to be snuffed out, it's a shock to the system."