Fatal Shooting of Young Man Mars King Tribute

The fatal shooting of a young man in the Civic Auditorium on Monday marred a rally commemorating the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at which 5,000 people gathered to hear words of peace.

The shooting occurred in a walkway behind an auditorium balcony.

David Lee Miller, 24, of East Palo Alto was dead on arrival at a nearby hospital, police said.

Some people in the auditorium said three shots were fired about 2:15 p.m., when the tribute was nearing its end. The crowd left after the incident.

“All we know is that two groups of young men were having a verbal argument and someone pulled a gun,” said homicide Lt. Gerald McCarthy. “We don’t know for sure if he (Miller) was in either group. It’s possible he could have been an innocent bystander.”

No arrests have been made, police said.

Before the shooting, the wish for peace expressed so often by King was echoed at the rally.

“Brother Martin is shining down on us right now, and he is applauding us from another land right now,” the Rev. Martin Grizzell said in a greeting to those who packed the auditorium. About 1,000 stayed outside the auditorium.

Most of those at the celebration had taken part in an orderly march through city streets. Many participants carried signs calling for an end to the war in the Persian Gulf.

Mayor Art Agnos greeted people who arrived in San Francisco on two “freedom trains” that came from San Jose, making stops along the Peninsula.