Police have arrested a San Francisco man in connection with last week’s fatal shooting of a woman in Hunters Point.
San Francisco police officers arrested Christopher Cawthorne, 21, in Fremont on Monday shortly before 8 p.m., according to Officer Adam Lobsinger. Cawthorne was booked that night at San Francisco County jail on suspicion of murder and probation violation. His next court date is Thursday.
Jail records indicate that Cawthorne was on probation at the time of his arrest in connection with prior charges of carrying a loaded firearm and second-degree burglary, though the records do not show further details of the incidents.
Investigators believe that the shooting, which killed 48-year-old San Francisco resident Deanna Rice, was connected to an earlier argument between Cawthorne and Rice, though the case remains an open investigation, police said.
The San Francisco District Attorney has not charged Cawthorne because there isn’t currently enough evidence to support a murder charge, according to District Attorney spokesperson Alex Bastian. However the case remains under investigation.
The shooting occurred on June 8 around Earl Street and Kirkwood Avenue. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots in the area and saw at least one male suspect fleeing the scene on foot, according to police.
Officers found Rice suffering from gunshot wounds. She was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and died the following day.
