OAKLAND, California — Kimarii McLemore was 25 years old and one day away from finishing her carpentry program. She had made it to the last class.
That morning, she texted her mother. There was a suspicious car in the parking lot, she said. Something felt wrong.
Her mother drove straight to the school to check on her.
She arrived just in time to hear the gunshots.
A Daughter Who Felt Unsafe
McLemore had been attending adult education carpentry classes at the Parker Community Resource Center in Oakland. Her family says she had grown increasingly afraid to attend class because of an ongoing conflict with a male classmate.
Her aunt, Brittia Johnson, said the family knew something was off.
“She said they had conversed and they had squashed it,” Johnson recalled. “But when she started, it was somebody in there that she didn’t get along with.”
On July 31, those fears became reality. By the time family arrived on campus, Kimarii was already gone.
“Her mom gave me a call and said they killed my baby,” Johnson said. “I don’t know who pulled the trigger, but I know she felt unsafe.”
Police Call It an Intentional Crime
Oakland Police Chief James Beere was clear when he addressed reporters.
“This was not a random act,” he said. “This is a very intentional crime.”
Beere confirmed no arrests have been made but said investigators have gathered significant information after spending time with McLemore’s family.
“Our investigators have a lot of information,” he said. “I’m fairly confident we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Police have not publicly named any suspects or commented on the classmate McLemore’s family has referenced.
Kimarii McLemore died on the very last day of a program she had worked hard to complete. Her family is left searching for answers — and for justice.
If you have information about this case, contact the Oakland Police Department.
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