Killing of Seth Smith
| Manslaughter of Seth Smith | |
|---|---|
| Location | Berkeley, California |
| Date | June 15, 2020 |
Attack type | Shooting |
| Victim | Seth Smith |
| Perpetrator | Tony Lorenzo Walker |
| Verdict | Pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter |
| Convictions | 25 years in prison[1] |
On June 15, 2020, 19-year-old University of California, Berkeley student Seth Smith was shot in the back of the head at point-blank range by Tony Lorenzo Walker.[2][3]
Days after Smith was killed, 60-year-old Walker was identified as a suspect. After a lengthy investigation, Berkeley police arrested Walker on August 20, 2020, on suspicion of Smith's homicide.[4]
On May 23, 2022, Walker was convicted in the fatal shooting of Smith and sentenced to 25 years in prison, pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal.[5][6]
Background
[edit]Seth Smith
[edit]19-year-old Smith was a third-year student pursuing a double major in economics and history at Berkeley.[7]
Tony Lorenzo Walker
[edit]Walker, 60-years-old at the time of the shooting, "had at least 11 prior convictions in Alameda County, including several second-degree robberies, burglaries and a commercial burglary ranging from the 1970s to 1990s, an armed robbery in 1992, assault with a deadly weapon in 2001 and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in 2016."[7]
Reaction
[edit]On June 6, 2022, Tucker Carlson, on his Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight, discussed the killing of Seth Smith, describing it as a "racially motivated attack". He cited the fact that the Department of Justice did not pursue hate crime charges and the voluntary manslaughter plea deal as a case of "politicized law enforcement".[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Man Convicted In Shooting Death Of Elk Grove Teen Sentenced To 25 Years". www.cbsnews.com. 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ^ Matthews, Allen (August 21, 2020). "Two months after a UC Berkeley student's killing, an arrest is made. Questions remain". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Barmann, Jay (November 19, 2020). "Suspect In Seemingly Random June Killing of UC Berkeley Student Confessed, Says Friend". SFist.
- ^ Raguso, Emilie (November 18, 2020). "After killing of Cal student, Berkeley man confessed, key witness says". Berkeleyside.
- ^ "Man Convicted In Shooting Death Of Elk Grove Teen Sentenced To 25 Years". CBS Sacramento. May 23, 2022.
- ^ Lee, Henry; Seldon, Aja (May 23, 2022). "Man convicted of killing UC Berkeley student to reveal motive". FOX KTVU.
- ^ a b Kelly, George (May 24, 2022). "Berkeley man sentenced to prison in UC Berkeley student's 2020 death". The Mercury News.
- ^ Carlson, Tucker (June 6, 2022). "Tucker Carlson: Peter Navarro's arrest is a huge step toward the politics of the third world". Fox News.