‘Remorseful’ Antioch man sentenced to federal prison for Oakland liquor store shootout

Kawan Hardy was initially charged with a shooting in a school zone, even though it was after 11 p.m. on a weekend and the school was across the street from the liquor store where the shootout took place.

admin September 23, 2026 2 minutes read

OAKLAND — An Antioch man was sentenced to four and a half years in federal prison in connection with a shootout outside of a liquor store, which apparently started when someone fired at him and his cousin as they walked out of the business.

In an interview with a probation officer, 33-year-old Kawan Hardy reportedly said he feels “remorseful” but that the whole thing started when he attempted to stop two women from fighting. Hardy pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Similar charges against his co-defendant, Jamon Blincoe, remain pending, records show.

“I placed myself in my old neighborhood, which I should have been doing less. I went to the liquor store to purchase liquor on a normal night,” Hardy told his probation officer, according to court filings. “While at the store, I heard two women fighting outside who I know. I went outside to try to break up the fight and a shooting occurred. I had a gun on me and shot back; it was my instinct. I know no one was shot but I feel remorseful. You think I would be more careful because someone could have got hurt.”

Blincoe and Hardy were initially charged in Alameda County with a shooting in a school zone, even though it was after 11 p.m. on a weekend and the school was across the street from the liquor store where the shootout took place. Federal prosecutors took over the case last March and the state charges were dropped.

In a sentencing memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ivana Djak argued the 54-month sentence balances the “dangerous” conduct with Hardy’s acceptance of responsibility.

“(Hardy) took early and full responsibility for his criminal misconduct. The government is optimistic that this case will serve as an inflection point for the Defendant,” Djak wrote. “The Defendant has expressed his desire to be a present father for his children — and hopefully after this term, he will be.”