On September 14, 2023, 46-year-old Sebahattin Ciftci was found deceased in his vehicle in the parking lot of a 24-Hour Fitness at Bayfair Center in San Leandro, California. He had suffered fatal gunshot wounds, and spent 9mm shell casings were discovered inside his car. This tragic incident was followed ten days later by a similar fatal shooting of 21-year-old Emre Bozkurt in the same parking lot.
The San Leandro Police Department launched an intensive investigation into these homicides. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses and identified a person of interest present at both crime scenes. The suspect was observed wearing similar clothing in both instances, notably black work boots with distinctive metallic shoelace keepers, and during the first homicide, a red Nike backpack. The individual was also seen taking the same route when leaving the scenes, traveling north on Hesperian Boulevard and then turning west onto Halcyon Drive.
On October 17, 2023, at approximately 2 p.m., a patrol officer spotted a man matching the suspect's description near Hesperian Boulevard and Halcyon Drive, close to the 24-Hour Fitness Center parking lot. The man, identified as 23-year-old Joshua Ballard of San Leandro, was detained. During a search, officers found an un-serialized 9mm semiautomatic handgun in his possession. A subsequent search of Ballard's residence yielded 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. Authorities indicated that the victims did not appear to have been specifically targeted, suggesting the crimes were random acts of violence. The incidents were not directly related to the 24-Hour Fitness facility.
Further investigation revealed that Ballard was also allegedly involved in a shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Oakland on September 3, 2023. In that incident, he reportedly fired two rounds during a confrontation, injuring an innocent bystander. Ballard faces additional charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm related to this case.
The arrest of Joshua Ballard brought some relief to the San Leandro community, which had been on edge following the seemingly random acts of violence. San Leandro Police Lieutenant Abe Teng acknowledged the community's concerns and commended the detectives for their diligent work in connecting the homicides and identifying the suspect. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies, including the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
