Concord man not guilty of murder and attempted murder in Oakland quadruple shooting

OAKLAND — A Concord man was acquitted of almost all charges after he testified at his murder trial that he killed a man in self-defense and accidentally killed a woman in the process.

DeJuan Pickens, 36, was acquitted of two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in the Aug. 17, 2024 shooting that killed Waltrice Dilliehunt, 35, and Tyrell Bland, 27, and wounded two others. Jurors couldn’t reach a verdict on two lesser charges: voluntary manslaughter in Dilliehunt’s death and attempted manslaughter for one of the surviving victims.

Pickens was convicted of a gun possession charge that he didn’t contest. Jurors leaned towards acquittal on the manslaughter and attempted manslaughter counts. Pickens is set to go to a new trial for those charges by summer’s end, court records show.

Dilliehunt and Bland were shot and killed during a fistfight on the 1600 block of 83rd Avenue in Oakland, which the surviving victims claim started with an argument over a parking spot. According to eyewitness testimony, Dilliehunt and Pickens’ girlfriend began punching each other, and Pickens waved a pistol around in an attempt to break it up.

Survivors of the shooting later testified that Pickens killed both victims then chased down and shot two others. Pickens testified at the trial that he stepped in and eventually shot Bland to “stop” him from hurting or killing someone, according to court records. He said the shooting of Dilliehunt was accidental and that she and the other survivors were grouped closely together.

Jurors deliberated for three days before reaching the partial verdict.

Pickens’ girlfriend — who lived at the same 83rd Avenue apartment complex where the victims resided — was initially charged with being an accessory, but a judge dismissed that count at a 2025 preliminary hearing.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Pickens’ lawyer, Pinaki Chakravorty, declined to comment, citing the still-unresolved charges.