OAKLAND — When Kendall Otis Segers died violently Sunday morning, his four young children lost a devoted and loving father and his family and friends were left with memories of an outgoing, generous person whose popularity as a DJ was continuing to grow.
About 2:20 a.m. Sunday the 27-year-old Segers, a graduate of Skyline High School and Cal State East Bay, was near the intersection of 14th and Webster streets in downtown, where he was apparently buying some food after finishing a gig at a club in the area.
A shoot-out between other people erupted nearby and Segers, an Oakland resident, was hit in the back by a stray bullet. He was then struck by a car in the 300 block of 14th Street; he was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital.
The driver of the car that hit him fled on foot and is being sought by police, as are the people involved in the shootout. No motive for the shootout has been released
His mother, Kelli Segers, said Thursday she would never get over the loss of her only child, who she will remember for his “good heart and disposition,” and as someone who was “comfortable, friendly, outgoing and charming.
“He was definitely my pride and joy.”
He was also a generous person, who made various donations to schools, including Skyline, she said. He would help the homeless as well, once traveling to Los Angeles, where he purchased blankets for homeless people.
A year ago at the urging of friends, he began a career as a DJ and was known as PNUT. His popularity was growing and he worked at numerous venues, from schools to clubs. His career “took off like a rocket,” his mother said.
His goal was to perform all over the world so he could provide for his four children, 4 months to 5 years old. Only the oldest, a son, has been told he is dead but has not yet been told how it happened, Kelli Segers said.
Since her son’s death, his mother said, many people, including some she had not heard from in 15 years, have reached out to her to tell her how much her son meant to them. A Tuesday fundraiser at an Uptown club where he DJ’d drew some 200 people.
Robyn Ellis, whose son attended Skyline with Kendall Segers, said he “was well-loved because of his spirit and his overall good nature. He was a real sweet and level headed young man.”
Kelli Segers said the overwhelming response from those who knew her son has made her decide to have him buried at a cemetery where his friends can visit instead of simple cremation.
“He was well-loved by a lot of people. He does not just belong to me,” she said. “It really makes me feel better, it makes me feel he really had a purpose here and he brought joy to a lot of people and hopefully he inspired a lot of people.
“I’m grateful I had him and was able to enjoy him rather than to not have had him at all.”
Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $15,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrests of the suspects involved in the death. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821 or 510-238-7950 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.