Israel Miller Jr., 21, a male from Oakland, was shot in the early hours of September 6, 2025, during a spate of downtown violence that followed the First Fridays festival. Oakland police recorded multiple shootings between roughly 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.; one of the fatal scenes was on the 500 block of 18th Street and another along 17th Street near San Pablo Avenue, where officers responding to ShotSpotter alerts found Israel Miller Jr. gravely wounded. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Family members publicly identified him in the days that followed, sharing his nickname “Chubs” and organizing an online fundraiser to help with funeral costs and to support his young son. A memorial listing also recorded his death and age, corroborating the date and location in Oakland.
Relatives told local reporters that the night had begun like many others—out with friends—before an argument with acquaintances escalated into gunfire. The same overnight stretch left another person, 28-year-old John “Mica” Esquibell, dead a block away, underscoring the chaos that rippled through the Uptown corridors after the festivities.
Authorities have not announced any arrests in the killing of Israel Miller Jr., 21, male. Police stated that the weekend homicides remained under active investigation, and they appealed for tips and media from the public as detectives worked the overlapping scenes.
