OAKLAND — A man suspected of shooting four people at a downtown Oakland sports bar March 3 has been arrested and charged with six felony counts, according to authorities and court documents.
Vernon Castle Jr. 36, of Oakland, is charged with four counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, carrying a loaded firearm on one’s person in a city, and carrying a concealed firearm.
Castle surrendered to police Monday and is being held in lieu of $1.8 million bail at Santa Rita Jail. He is scheduled to enter a plea March 19. He has refused to talk to investigators.
Castle is charged in the shooting of four people about 12:33 a.m. March 3 at the Halftime Sports Bar, 316 14th St.
Two 26-year-old women, one from San Leandro and the other from Hayward, and two San Leandro men, one 25 and the other 29, were wounded.
They were at the bar for a birthday celebration when said the 29-year-old man reportedly got into an argument with Castle — who then allegedly pulled out a gun and began shooting. What the dispute was about has not been determined.
Authorities said Castle apparently did not know any of the victims. All the victims have since been released from hospitals.
As investigators were working to confirm Castle as the suspect, he initiated contact with police through an attorney saying he wanted to turn himself in, which he did on Monday, according to the records.
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