Lance Chan, 61, male, was fatally shot on the night of August 15, 2025, after Pleasanton police were called to reports of gunfire near the 4600 block of Helpert Court. Officers arrived around 9:40 p.m. and found him with a gunshot wound; lifesaving efforts followed and he was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators described an argument inside the home that escalated into violence shortly before the shooting.
Detectives quickly focused on Chan's son, 28-year-old Lucas Chan, who was detained at the scene and later booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder. According to police and subsequent court filings, the younger Chan admitted firing through his bedroom door with the intent to kill whoever was on the other side—striking his father. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged him with murder in the days that followed, noting that the killing occurred inside the family's residence.
The investigation uncovered additional hazards inside the home. Authorities reported finding suspected improvised explosive devices that were rendered safe by the Alameda County Sheriff's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team. Police said they also partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and recovered unregistered “ghost guns” and a 3D printer as evidence. Officials emphasized that the threat was contained to the residence and that there was no ongoing danger to the public as the inquiry continued.
As of the last official updates, Lucas Chan remained in custody in connection with the homicide of his father. Local outlets reported that he was held at Santa Rita Jail while the case moved forward in Alameda County, with investigators still collecting testimony from witnesses and processing the firearms and explosive-related evidence seized from the scene.
