A 20-year-old San Francisco man arrested after the fatal shooting of a teenager during the “Pink Saturday” celebration in the Castro District last weekend was arraigned in court this morning on gun charges.
Stephen Powell, 19, was shot at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday at Market and Castro streets, in the midst of a large crowd of celebrants at the annual street party, held the night before San Francisco’s gay pride parade.
Two other people, who were not with Powell, were also hit by gunfire and injured. Police have said they believe the shooting was gang-related.
Police arrested 20-year-old Ed Perkins near the shooting scene that night and recovered a gun on him, police and prosecutors said.
Though Perkins was originally booked on a murder charge, subsequent investigation revealed that none of the seven bullet casings recovered at the shooting scene matched his gun, and no witnesses have been able to place him at the scene, according to the district attorney’s office.
Police are still trying to identify the shooter.
Perkins, appearing in San Francisco Superior Court today for the first time since his arrest, pleaded not guilty to one count of possessing a concealed weapon and one count of possessing a loaded weapon. Bail was set at $100,000.
Prosecutor Paul Brennan said the .357-caliber Smith & Wesson chrome revolver found on Perkins was loaded and stolen. Perkins is currently on misdemeanor probation for a 2009 conviction for public intoxication, and was arrested in Martinez in 2009 for battery, Brennan said.
Judge Samuel Feng said the allegations of bringing a loaded gun to a crowded street festival are “very serious” and denied a defense request for Perkins to be released from custody until the case is resolved.
“We’re talking about a Smith & Wesson,” he said. “We’re talking about, ‘Why is he bringing a gun to this festivity?'”
Perkins is due back in court July 14 for a preliminary hearing.
Police today renewed a call for any witnesses to the shooting to contact them via the anonymous tip line (415) 575-4444 or by texting TIP411.
