Brandon Alexander Cheese, a 22-year-old man from San Mateo, California, was known for his generous spirit. The youngest of four siblings and the only son, he was a devoted father to his two-year-old daughter, and his focus was on being a great parent. Brandon worked as a barber and a security guard, and he would often give free haircuts to homeless residents. His kindness was a defining trait, remembered by those who knew him. His former eighth-grade teacher recalled that as a 13-year-old, Brandon wrote about his desire to fight violence, a tragic irony that would later mark his own fate. His mother, Sylvia Cheese, remembered him as her "day and night," saying, "His dreams were my dreams. They destroyed me."
On the sunny afternoon of Sunday, April 3, 2022, Brandon was at Alice Chalmers Park in San Francisco’s Crocker-Amazon neighborhood. He and his friends had been at a barbecue, playing basketball.
Friends and family said Brandon was there to comfort a friend whose own friend had been killed a year earlier. As Brandon was reportedly at the park's entrance about to leave, a car, later identified by police as a silver Honda Accord, pulled up. At least two people got out of the vehicle and opened fire on the group of young men. The gunfire was sudden and intense, with one witness hearing 10 to 15 shots. "I just saw young men that were severely injured and a lot of blood," the witness said. "It was everywhere. It was terrifying."
When San Francisco Police Department officers arrived around 4:30 p.m., they found four men suffering from gunshot wounds. All four were transported to a local hospital. Brandon and his friend, 20-year-old Kieran Carlson of San Francisco, succumbed to their injuries and died. The two other men survived with non-life-threatening wounds. The shooters fled in the vehicle, and the brazen daylight attack in a park known as a peaceful place for children left the community in shock. Bullet holes remained visible on the side of the park's recreation center long after the shooting.
The San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide Detail took charge of the investigation. In the months that followed, no arrests were made. Investigators believe the shooting was an ambush but have not released a motive or stated whether the victims were the intended targets. Brandon's family does not believe he was the target. "I'm not sure why this happened, but it shouldn't have happened," his sister, Silvia Lopez, said. In August 2022, police released a photo of the suspect vehicle and announced an initial $50,000 reward for information.
In the days after the shooting, a makeshift memorial of candles, flowers, and photos grew along the park fence. Brandon's parents later created a memorial garden with pictures of their son just outside the park where he lost his life. On the second anniversary of the murders, Brandon's family spoke of their unending grief. "It's super painful," his sister said. "It's like somebody is ripping my heart out of my chest. To see him happy, full of life, and this is all we have left, pictures." His mother expressed her desperate need for resolution, saying she wants the suspects arrested "so we can have some kind of peace because this pain will never go away, never."
As of May 2026, the case remains unsolved. While a police report noted a rapper was listed as a suspect, no arrests or murder charges have been announced in connection with the killings, and the SFPD maintains an active cold case file. The reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect or suspects has been increased to $250,000. The San Francisco Police Department urges anyone with information to contact Sergeant Nico Discenza at 1-415-553-9069, call the 24-hour tip line at 1-415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411, beginning the message with SFPD.
