Police say the deaths of Bryan Walker and Michelle Min remain under investigation after a firearm was recovered outside their hillside home.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland police have identified Bryan Walker and Michelle Min, the married founders of Berkeley-based clothing company Bryn Walker, as the two people found fatally shot outside their Oakland Hills home near the UC Berkeley campus.
The deaths remain under investigation, and authorities have not announced a final determination of what happened. Police recovered a firearm at the scene in the 400 block of Panoramic Way and said shortly after the shooting that investigators were considering the circumstances of both deaths. Officers were not searching for a suspect at large, and authorities said there was no continuing threat to the surrounding neighborhood or the university campus.
Berkeley police began receiving reports of gunfire about 10:48 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, in Panoramic Hill, a residential neighborhood that runs along the Oakland-Berkeley border. Oakland and Berkeley emergency crews responded, and officers found a man and woman outside the residence with gunshot wounds. Authorities attempted lifesaving measures, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police officials identified the victims Monday as Walker and Min. Min was 63. Police reports released through local news organizations listed Walker as 64, while some earlier reports identified him as 61. The discrepancy in Walker’s reported age did not change the circumstances under investigation. Authorities have not announced a motive or publicly described evidence establishing how the firearm recovered at the scene was used.
Oakland Assistant Police Chief Casey Johnson said after the shooting that investigators had not determined whether the deaths involved two homicides or a murder-suicide. Police said they were not looking for an unidentified person believed to pose an immediate danger to the public. The investigation remained open as detectives worked to establish the sequence of events and determine what led to the gunfire.
The location drew additional attention because it sits close to the University of California, Berkeley campus. University officials said the campus was not affected by the shooting and that there was no known continuing threat. Police activity temporarily disrupted the normally quiet hillside area as investigators worked near the residence.
Walker and Min were known in the Bay Area fashion industry through Bryn Walker, a women’s clothing company based in Berkeley. The company says it has designed and produced clothing in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1992, apart from sweaters made overseas. Local reports described the business as having a national retail presence through boutiques as well as its own operations.
Neighbors gathered Sunday near the couple’s home for a community event following the deaths. Flowers, cards and other memorial items were placed nearby as residents came together after the shooting. Neighbor Janice Thomas told ABC7 that residents from different parts of the hill wanted to be together because the deaths had left the community deeply unsettled.
The investigation is being led by the Oakland Police Department. Authorities have not publicly announced a final finding on the manner of the two deaths or released a confirmed motive. Police have asked anyone with information, photographs or video connected to the shooting to contact investigators.
Author note: Last updated October 6, 2026.