San Francisco prosecutors charged Shakia Vanderbilt with murder in the killing of Ulysses Bear Davis, the 47-year-old Warfield security guard known to relatives as Bear. Police said she was arrested Tuesday, and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Wednesday that the case now includes firearm-related charges.
The charges include murder, personal use of a firearm, intentional discharge of a firearm in an occupied building, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The filing gives prosecutors a formal case after the shooting that left Davis dead and his family describing the loss as surreal.
Warfield Theatre shooting
Police responded shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday to the Warfield Theatre, where officers found Davis suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers rendered aid before paramedics took him to a hospital, where he died. The shooting followed a Friday night 18-and-over event tied to the Zeus Network reality TV series Baddies USA.
Jenkins said investigators believe video of the incident exists. She also said it appears Vanderbilt may have entered the Warfield with a firearm. Her account places the sequence in a tight window: a disruption inside the club, the suspect taken outside at some point, then the shooting that followed.
Terrance Cooper on the family
Terrance Cooper, Davis’ brother-in-law, said the family is still trying to process what happened. He said, “We’re happy that they have made an arrest and are continuing the investigation and their attention to what’s going on, both the SFPD and the district attorney’s office.”
Cooper said, “Still for us, this is so surreal,” and added that the family is “still trying to wrap our heads around it.” He said, “One of his daughters and one of his sons was there, [and] his wife,” and described them seeing him take his last breaths “right there in that hallway.”
Brooke Jenkins on the dispute
Jenkins said, “There was a disruption inside of the club, and the suspect was brought outside at some point.” She added, “At some point, there was a dispute that led to this incident.” Those details point to the contested sequence prosecutors are still sorting through, including whether Davis was targeted.
Jenkins said, “Nobody should worry that if they go watch a show at a venue, that somebody is armed inside.” The investigation remains active, and the charging decision now puts the focus on what happened inside the Warfield Theatre before the shooting and what video shows about the moments that followed.
