On September 24, 2023, 21-year-old Emre Bozkurt was tragically shot and killed in San Leandro, California. Originally from Turkey, Bozkurt had relocated to California approximately a year prior. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. while he was sitting in his vehicle, engaged in a video call with a family member. During the call, an assailant approached his car, opened the door, and fatally shot him in the head before fleeing with his phone.
In the days following the murder, the San Leandro Police Department initiated an intensive investigation. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses and identified a suspect seen at the scene of Bozkurt's murder, as well as a similar homicide that had occurred ten days earlier in the same location. The suspect was observed wearing dark clothing, black work boots with distinctive metallic shoelace keepers, and a red Nike backpack. He followed the same escape route in both incidents, heading north on Hesperian Boulevard and then west onto Halcyon Drive.
On October 17, 2023, just after 2 p.m., an officer spotted a man matching the suspect's description near Hesperian Boulevard and Halcyon Drive, close to the 24-Hour Fitness Center parking lot where the murders took place. The individual, identified as 23-year-old Joshua Ballard of San Leandro, was detained. During the search, police found an un-serialized 9mm semiautomatic handgun, commonly known as a ghost gun, in his possession. A subsequent search of Ballard's residence uncovered additional evidence linking him to the homicides.
Ballard was arrested and charged by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office with two counts of murder, attempted carjacking, robbery, assault with a firearm, and other weapons violations. The charges are connected to the murders of Emre Bozkurt on September 24 and 46-year-old Sebahattin Ciftci on September 14, both of whom were found shot in their vehicles in the same parking lot. Authorities stated that the victims were not specifically targeted, and the crimes were not directly related to the 24-Hour Fitness facility.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price emphasized the commitment to combating gun violence and ensuring that individuals responsible for such violent acts are swiftly brought to justice. Ballard is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and is scheduled to enter a plea at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin on November 9. If convicted of all charges, he could face up to 88 years to life in prison.
The tragic death of Emre Bozkurt has deeply affected both his local community in San Leandro and his family in Turkey. A GoFundMe campaign was organized to assist with the expenses of repatriating his body to Turkey for burial. Community members have expressed their condolences and support for the Bozkurt family during this difficult time.
