Timothy Conover, 37, a Black male, was hosting friends and neighbors for a Fourth of July gathering at his home on the 800 block of 41st Street in Oakland’s Longfellow neighborhood when the celebration turned suddenly to horror just after midnight on July 5, 2025. Police responded around 12:30 a.m. and found Conover suffering from multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Friends and family described him as a generous “master griller,” a father of two who loved to feed people and send them home happy.
According to relatives, the shooter had been a close family friend and a guest at the party. As the night wound down and goodbyes were exchanged, the visitor’s behavior reportedly became erratic; Conover had even offered him a place to sleep on the couch before the encounter escalated into violence. Accounts from the family said the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and in the frenzy that followed, shots rang out on the sidewalk outside the home.
Investigators quickly developed a suspect: 40-year-old Dwane Wesley Stewart. He was arrested on July 6, 2025, and later booked at Santa Rita Jail, where he was held without bail on suspicion of murder with firearm enhancements. Oakland police announced the arrest publicly on July 9, crediting homicide investigators and specialized units for moving swiftly within days of the killing.
Authorities said the case remained active after the arrest, but early reports described a chilling scene in which the party guest turned on his host at the end of an otherwise joyful holiday night. As the neighborhood reeled, Conover’s loved ones shared photos and memories and launched a fundraiser to help his fiancée and children, underscoring the loss of a man remembered for kindness, hospitality, and steady warmth at the grill.
