Calvin Riley was catching Pokemon at Aquatic Park, a typically safe, populated tourist area that was lively with activity even at 10 p.m. when he was shot in the chest.
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The Aquatic park in Fisherman’s Wharf is a popular destination in San Francisco, and the area had around four million visitors in 2014, but no one reported seeing the crime. Killings in the neighborhood are rare. No suspect or motive has been identified.
Gabriel Antonio Morales, Riley’s cousin, has set up a GoFundMe page that has raised over $36,000 since being set up Sunday, which will help pay for funeral costs.
The U.S. Park police and local homicide detectives are investigating what led to the shooting. Police have not said whether the game was a possible factor in Riley’s shooting.
Among them was Thoua Moua, 28, who was visiting the city from Fresno with friends. They heard a gunshot moments later.
“It was just so random”, he said through tears. And in San Francisco, a brother and sister were robbed of their smartphones while playing “Pokemon Go”. The game has sparked safety warnings about players being too engrossed in the game to notice their surroundings. Last week, a Pokémon Go player said he was slashed in the face by an attacker in downtown San Jose. Witnesses can call the U.S. Park Police tip line at (415) 561-5150.
Investigators have not commented as to whether the augmented reality game cell phone game, which was released in July, could have had a role in Riley’s death.
Riley’s family is devastated. Calvin Riley brought the best out in all of us.
The coach of San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif., offered the tribute to Calvin Riley, 20, in a statement. “It’s hard for us to grasp that he’s not going to be there when we all come back in two weeks”, another coach tells the San Francisco Chronicle.
“We’re just dumbfounded”, Skracic added.
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“Calvin was loved by all those that knew him”. A friend saw Riley fall and “whoever did it ran away and possibly got into a vehicle”, said Kirby.
