Rolando Jose Dusuau, known to his loved ones as “RJ,” was a 17-year-old male from San Francisco’s Mission District with a bright future ahead of him. His mother, Christina Onopa, described him as “smart, funny, driven, and so full of life,” a young man whose “smile could light up any room.” RJ was a senior at George Washington High School with plans to graduate and was working toward getting his driver’s license.
He loved basketball and video games and was known as an "all-around good kid" who was a good friend to everyone.
Despite his young age, RJ had already faced significant hardship, having lost his father to suicide when he was just 14. This experience seemed to fuel his desire to help others. He was completing his training to become a youth counselor at Horizons, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting at-risk Latino youth and other young people of color in the city. After his death, his mother’s phone was flooded with messages from people he had helped. “He was loved by a lot of people,” she said. “Everyone was telling me how he helped them get through things. He was a good person. He always wanted to help.”
On the evening of Friday, October 16, 2026, RJ left his family’s home in the Mission, telling his mother he was going to meet someone she believed was a friend. When her calls and texts went unanswered through the night and he still wasn’t home by Saturday morning, she began to panic. “Something didn’t sit right with me,” she later recalled. “He wouldn’t just take off like this.” She filed a missing persons report with the police, holding out hope for his return.
Late that Saturday night, her worst fears were confirmed. She learned that her son was the victim of a fatal shooting. Around 8:38 p.m. on Friday, just 13 minutes after he had left home, San Francisco Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting on the 1100 block of Wisconsin Street. The block, less than a mile from RJ's home, borders the Potrero Hill Terrace and Annex public housing complex and Starr King Elementary School. Officers found RJ unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds. Paramedics arrived and attempted lifesaving measures, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The SFPD Homicide Detail immediately began an investigation. The day after the shooting, on October 17, their work led them to a residence on the 1800 block of 25th Street. Investigators served a search warrant, where they located and seized evidence related to the crime. They also arrested a suspect, another teenage male. Due to his age, the suspect’s name was not released. He was transported to the Juvenile Justice Center and booked on a charge of homicide.
RJ’s death was the 22nd homicide in San Francisco that year. It was also the second fatal shooting to occur in or around the Potrero Hill Terrace and Annex housing project in 2026. In the wake of her son’s murder, Christina Onopa, a single mother to two younger sons, started a GoFundMe page to help her family with funeral expenses and financial hardship. The community responded with an outpouring of support, quickly surpassing the fundraising goal.
Though an arrest was made swiftly, the family was left with unanswered questions. “We don’t know who and we don’t know why,” his mother said. “We just miss him a lot. I feel empty.” As of late October 2026, the San Francisco Police Department stated that the case remained an open and active investigation. Authorities ask that anyone with information call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411, beginning the message with “SFPD.” Tipsters can remain anonymous.
