Kieran Carlson was a 20-year-old male with a bright future ahead of him. He had recently enrolled at City College of San Francisco with aspirations of becoming a firefighter. His life, however, was violently cut short in an ambush that also claimed the life of a friend and injured two others. His mother, Priscilla Carlson, remembers the day he was killed; she was at home preparing fried chicken, a meal her son had requested earlier that day.
On the afternoon of Sunday, April 3, 2022, Kieran was with friends at Alice Chalmers Park in San Francisco's Crocker-Amazon neighborhood. They had been playing basketball and were planning to attend a nearby barbecue. Shortly after 4:30 p.m., at least two gunmen got out of a car and opened fire on the group of men near the park's entrance. The attack was sudden and brutal, happening in broad daylight near a children's playground.
Witnesses reported hearing 10 to 15 gunshots.
Kieran and 22-year-old Brandon Alexander Cheese were struck by the gunfire and sustained life-threatening injuries. Two other young men were also wounded but survived. Emergency responders rushed all four victims to a local hospital, but both Kieran and Brandon succumbed to their injuries. The brazen nature of the shooting left the community in shock. "Our children were set up," Priscilla Carlson later said. "And the mere fact that they did this in broad daylight, at a park, where there was little children playing, they need to be caught, they need to be taken off the streets."
The San Francisco Police Department's Homicide Detail immediately launched an investigation. Detectives identified a suspect vehicle, a silver Honda Accord, and released images to the public, but a motive for the shooting has never been officially released. Police have not stated whether Kieran and Brandon were the intended targets. Over the years, suspects have been questioned in connection with the double homicide, but as of May 2026, no charges have been filed, and the case remains unsolved.
In the years following the murders, Kieran's and Brandon's families have continued to fight for justice. They have marked anniversaries with pleas for information, hoping to break the silence surrounding the case. Brandon's family created a memorial garden with his photos just outside the park where he was killed. He was a barber who gave free haircuts to the homeless and was a devoted father to his young daughter.
The investigation into the murders of Kieran Carlson and Brandon Cheese is ongoing. In March 2024, the San Francisco Police Department increased the reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect or suspects to $250,000. Police hope the significant reward will encourage someone with knowledge of the crime to come forward.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Sergeant Nico Discenza of the San Francisco Police Department at 1-415-553-9069. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to the SFPD 24-Hour Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444, or by texting a tip to TIP411 and beginning the message with "SFPD".
