A firearm was recovered near the Panoramic Way residence, but police have not determined whether the deaths were a murder-suicide or another type of shooting.
OAKLAND, Calif. — A married couple were found fatally shot outside their Oakland Hills home near the University of California, Berkeley, on Friday morning, prompting a homicide investigation as authorities worked to determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Oakland and Berkeley police responded to Panoramic Way at about 10:45 a.m. Oct. 2 after a neighbor reported hearing gunfire. Officers found a man and woman outside the residence suffering from gunshot wounds and attempted lifesaving measures, authorities said. Both died at the scene. Oakland police took the lead in the investigation because the property is within Oakland’s jurisdiction despite its location near the Berkeley city boundary.
Oakland Assistant Police Chief Casey Johnson said the victims were residents of the home and appeared to be married. Police said the woman was 63 and the man was 61, although one early report listed the man as 64. Authorities did not publicly identify the couple during the initial police briefing. Public records and neighbors identified the homeowners as Michelle and Bryan Walker, who were associated with the Bryn Walker clothing business.
A firearm was recovered at the scene, Johnson said. Investigators have not publicly determined whether the deaths resulted from a double homicide, a murder-suicide or another set of circumstances. Asked about the possibility of a murder-suicide, Johnson said police were keeping all possibilities open while the homicide unit investigated. No motive or detailed sequence of events leading to the shootings had been announced.
Police said they were not searching for a suspect at large and did not believe there was an ongoing danger to the surrounding community. The nearby University of California, Berkeley, also advised the campus community that there was no known continuing threat, although police activity remained visible in the area during the investigation.
CBS San Francisco reported that Bryan and Michelle Walker were known for their work in the apparel industry and operated Bryn Walker clothing stores. The company sells women’s clothing and has been associated with retail locations in Berkeley and Massachusetts, as well as wholesale distribution through boutiques. Police had not formally confirmed the victims’ identities in their initial public statements.
Neighbor Alessandro Isolani told CBS San Francisco that he heard two bangs that were not far apart before emergency responders arrived. He said one sounded louder than the other and described the violence as shocking for the Panoramic Hill neighborhood, where he had lived for more than two decades. Investigators continued interviewing people in the area and examining evidence from around the residence.
The location is in a steep residential neighborhood above the UC Berkeley campus and close to the Oakland-Berkeley border. That proximity brought officers from both cities to the initial response. Berkeley police received the report of gunfire, while Oakland officers and homicide investigators assumed responsibility for the case after authorities determined the shooting scene was inside Oakland.
Early reporting produced a discrepancy about the man’s age. Oakland police and several subsequent reports listed him as 61, while other reporting gave an age of 64. Authorities consistently said the woman was 63. Police had not released a final public identification or explained the age discrepancy as the investigation continued.
Authorities also had not announced whether forensic testing established who fired the recovered weapon or how it was connected to the deaths. No arrests were announced, and police had not publicly identified another person as a suspect. Investigators continued working to establish what occurred outside the residence before officers arrived.
The Oakland Police Department’s homicide unit remained responsible for determining the circumstances of the deaths. As of Oct. 3, police had not announced a final classification of the case, a motive or findings establishing whether one of the victims was responsible for the shootings.
Author note: Last updated October 3, 2026.