Oakland police have announced the arrest of a man in connection with the recent killing of Tan DaGod, a rising rapper who was killed shortly after she performed at the grand opening of a North Oakland beauty supply shop.
Dominic Gates, 30, was arrested last week on suspicion of murder in the fatal shooting of Alliauna Green, an up-and-coming rapper who garnered thousands of followers while performing as Tan DaGod. At the time that she was slain, Gates had been free on his own recognizance while facing a charge of failing to register as a sex offender for a conviction of pimping a teen girl, which was filed after police identified him as a suspect in a wild 2022 shootout that resulted in the killing of a man and a woman.
Green’s shook the Bay Area’s rap scene, with well-known Oakland rapper and philanthropist Mistah F.A.B. artist taking to Instagram to praise her “ambition, drive and courage,” as well as a heart that was “big as TEXAS!!!!”
The July 13 shooting happened at about 5 p.m., after Green filmed a music video and performed at the grand opening of Glamor Beauty Supply at the corner of 40th Street and Telegraph Avenue. It was all to celebrate the reopening of a store that closed earlier this year after decades in business under different ownership.
Gunfire erupted more than an hour after the event ended, while dozens of people were in the parking lot. Police said Green got into a verbal altercation with some people and was shot, and a friend took her to a hospital, where she later died. Another woman was injured during the shooting, but authorities were not immediately sure if it was by a stray bullet or shattered glass.
Police later zeroed in on Gates as a suspect after combing through high-definition surveillance footage, according to court documents. He did not talk to detectives, and a motive for the shooting remains unclear.
At the time of the killing, Gates was already a suspect in a June 2023 shootout that left two people dead at an East Oakland gas station. Yet court records show he never faced charges in the killing of either person.
Police identified Gates and a second person, Sir Cameron Young, as two men who pulled up to the gas station with 25-year-old Anteasa Collins, of Stockton. In another car, 23-year-old Idriek Patterson, of Newark, and 30-year-old Damarea Jones, pulled up in a different car. The two groups exchanged words and began firing at each other, resulting in Collins and Patterson being fatally struck by bullets, police alleged in court papers
Jones and Young were later charged with possessing guns used in the shootings, and Gates was charged with failing to register as a sex offender, stemming from a prior conviction of pimping a girl 16 or younger. He was without bail in August 2023 over the objections of prosecutors — marking his second release from jail while facing charges in the case. His first release ended after only about two weeks when he missed a court date.
Gates reportedly denied being involved in the shooting, and told police that he’d injured his leg and was unable to maneuver like the person caught on surveillance footage who investigators believe was Gates. Police say that they identified both Gates and Young because the two had posted music videos on social media together.
In an impassioned letter to the court, Gates’ sister implored the judge in his case to avoid imposing a lengthy prison term, citing his “profound transformation” upon becoming a father and his goals of becoming a paramedic.”
“His recent journey into fatherhood has profoundly altered his perspective on life,” wrote Jazzy Gates, adding that the experience instilled in him “a newfound sense of purpose.”
“I respectfully urge you to explore alternative sentencing options that could allow Dominic to make amends,” she added. “He really wants a chance at life.”