Marcel Dupree Jones, a 37-year-old Black man, was a father of three who was working hard to build a new life for his family. He was living at a Berkeley, California, homeless shelter and was just one week away from graduating from a pre-apprenticeship program in the construction trades. The nonprofit running the program described him as focused, skilled, dedicated, and kind, and had given him an award for his strength, endurance, and leadership.
He was on a path to a stable career and housing.
On the evening of August 25, 2024, that future was cut short inside the Ursula Sherman Village shelter, also known as Harrison House. Jones and his bunkmate, Mark Christopher Dowling, had a history of conflict. That day, they argued over loud music, reportedly a Tupac song Jones was playing, which led to a physical fight. A shelter manager intervened and asked the men to stay away from each other. Later, Jones returned to their shared room to find that Dowling had thrown his belongings on the floor and spat on his bed. Another argument began, and witnesses reported that Dowling retrieved a gun from his car, came back to the room, and shot Jones multiple times in the chest, back, and abdomen. Responding officers performed life-saving measures, but Jones was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses and surveillance footage quickly led investigators to their suspect. One witness saw Dowling crawl out of a window to escape after the shooting. The next morning, Berkeley police located Dowling sleeping in his Lexus just two blocks from the shelter and arrested him. A search of his car uncovered several firearms and ammunition that matched casings found at the crime scene. During questioning, Dowling acknowledged the shooting, telling police, “I should have shot the ceiling or scared him or something.”
Dowling, then 62, was charged with murder. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office also added a special allegation that the killing was a hate crime, as witnesses stated Dowling had a history of making derogatory racial remarks and threats toward Black residents at the shelter. Dowling pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and denied the hate crime allegation.
In the wake of Jones’s death, the nonprofit that had been training him started a fundraiser to help his family with funeral expenses. In November 2025, a guardian for two of Jones’s preschool-aged children filed a civil lawsuit against Dowling, the shelter operator Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, and the city of Berkeley. The suit alleges negligence and civil rights violations, claiming the shelter failed to protect its residents from a man they knew to be violent and racist. As of December 2025, the criminal case against Dowling was proceeding through the court system.
