Around last call on Saturday morning, 28-year-old Benjamin Martinez was shot multiple times near the corner of 16th and Valencia Streets. He was taken to San Francisco General where he later succumbed to his injuries.
According to Bay City News, police responded to the scene around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The shooter fled the scene and SFPD has only described the suspect as “a male suspect with a gun.”
Bartender Derek Hypieper from Gestalt just down the street told Mission Local that his doorman heard multiple gunshots, but was unaware someone had been killed. SFPD also blocked off 16th Street and an ambulance was spotted by the 22-Fillmore stop outside Yoyo Restaurant.
Mission Local also noted that a memorial popped up in front of El Cafetazo late Saturday afternoon reading,”Rest in Paradise Benny.” Anyone else who may have spotted anything is encouraged to call SFPD directly at (415) 553-1145.
Back in 2012, a 20-person brawl broke out on the same corner around 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and left local kitchen legend Caesar Chuc on life support. Chuc passed away a few days later at San Francisco General.
And people are more concerned with tech yuppies… at least they’re not shooting anyone
Tech yuppies are San Francisco’s poorest millionaires. All you can say is at least we’re not killing each other? Why are you still here?
Tech yuppies still think its us against them. Yet, they’ve moved into this community without any community involvement. Im sorry buying coffee every morning doesnt qualify for community engagement. San Francisco has always lead the nation in human rights and social justice even when there was occasional gunfire.
We’re losing that legacy over your lack of character. Why didnt you guys move to San Ramon, Walnut Creek, or any other affluent neighborhood with no gunshots, no homelessness, or crime?
Your selfish presence would not be missed
“Yet, they’ve moved into this community without any community involvement.”
I’d like to see some actual proof of this sentiment. And then compare that against how many “real San Franciscans” are actively engaged in their community. My guess is you’ll get the exact same percentage.
My mother came over in the 50s legally from Nicaragua. Unfortunately, she was partially deaf which prevented her from learning English. My mom (r.i.p) was supported by our community. She did her grocery shopping, doctor visits, bank transactions in Spanish cuz The Mission supported its residents. My mom never felt scared to walk home alone at night.
Project Connect is a program out of SFSU that mentors kids from the Mision. I have 2 degrees to show for it.
I am a frequent volunteer at MNRC which serves the homeless.
I can go on and on how awesome it was to be raised in San Francisco’s Mission. We had street festivals to support local artists with mural projects. There were 5 movie theaters, a bowling alley, and a skating ring these places were great for family gatherings. My family still owns property in SF and guess what? They rent rooms to poor working families instead of evicting the poor & the elderly.
Growing up in SF, I went to school with Cambodians, Vietnamese, Middle Easterns, Blacks, Whites, and Latinos etc. You want to contribute? Ask your employers to diversify their employee staffs.
I hope this gives a lil glimpse into a village I was raised by and still exist. Btw-my parents came from Nicaragua legally, and never needed to depend on any social services cuz we had community.
Thanks for paying outrageous rent in a community you know nothing about.
You are welcome.
Duder — you know that part where you said, “mom never felt scared to walk home alone at night”? Well, no one but a complete idiot would think that the person who shot the victim in this post was a “tech yuppie”, or anything similar. So you just invalidated every positive thing you might have had to contribute to this discussion with your last sentence, thanks.
people who own rental properties in SF and try and try and flaunt their hood cred are SF’s poorest millionaires.
bravo to both of you for bieing such great opportunists and using this pointless murder to boost your political opinions. is the body even cold yet?
Who the fuck cares abt tec yuppies!! My friend is Dead and you think this is an appropriate place to be funny?
Yay for the Skylark bar
Recently, I had a discussion with an officer from SFPD. They said there is more violent crimes in The Mission vs TenderLoin. Why? He said cuz the techies are very dismissive to the residents and end up gettin hurt. By the comments on this thread, I couldnt agree more.
The reason my mother walked with her head high at any hour of the night was cuz she knew everyone. She lived there over 50 yrs. No one is suggesting the murdered individual had any ties to techies. My statement is in response to the original comment. You transplants think gentrification is making SF a better place and im saying there was a thriving tight knit community long before your arrival. Live where you want to live but stop making crime “our problem” and be involved as community members. Ask your bosses to borrow a few busses and take the kids to the amusement park or beach. Who knows maybe you’ll meet the family who owns your favorite taqueria
Keep digging your grave with your made up bullshit, dum bum — there aint no techies in the Tenderloin. So there aint no comparative statistic. Duuuuh. Keep ‘em coming, loser.
wait, are you serious? I don’t agree with dee bee, but if you actually believe “there ain’t no techies in the Tenderloin”, then you’re seriously confused. Unless you’re making an ironic use of a double negative to point out the fact that in reality, there are a SHITLOAD of techies in the Tenderloin. Cuz there are.
(or, y’know, sarcasm, I suppose)
Benny was a good friend to me. I can’t describe how sad this is
This has nothing to do with techies or immigrants. Unfortunately, the area around Valencia Gardens continues to have problems with gun violence. Rebuilding the project several years ago helped, but the gangs, ad the guns, seem to have come back in force? Families and kids live there — what can we do to stop this? It’s not OK if kids, parents, techies, hipsters, immigrants (legal or illegal) are getting gunned down.
It’s disturbing, and perplexing.
Very well said.
i don’t believe this stemmed from the projects, witnesses said it had to do with weekend partiers outside of the Skylark bar.
Thank you buffet boss, it seems these self absorbed contributors don’t get it. “A human life has been violently taken! I can give a fat rat’s #*# about the techies’, yuppiesl blah blah blah. Benny was my nephew. His life has been stolen from his family. Can you people have a little “f”ING compassion. Por favor – cabrones
Rest in Peace, Benny. Condolences to friends and family.
I’m embarrassed by the assholes posting their me-first ego blog BS here. None of you know much about life beyond the internet.
I am sick of the bodies piling up in front of the Skylark and Double Dutch. I have no idea what the circumstances were with this shooting, but the violence I do see firsthand here seems to follow kids from other hoods who come down to 16th to front gangsta shit and either get called on it by locals or another liquored-up wannabe thug. The thug posers have nothing to do with Tech, but the techie wankers AND anti-techie wankers seem to know all about the underlying social issues and ambulance-chase these blogs. I live here. Sick of you all.
I’m saddened and hurt that this promising young life is no longer present. I cried to hear the news. I had the GREAT opportunity to work with this young man and see the possibilities that he possessed. RIP sweet soul… You left foots prints on the hearts of many!!
A friend of mine grew up with the victims uncle and he told me he was gunned down by a gang member for wearing a niners jersey. Some of y’all just keep defending your neighborhood and it’s people when some of them are problems to society. And I hate illegals because it don’t matter how hard their lives were in South America they should strive they’re asses to come here. Filipinos worked hard to raise money to come here legally and I don’t see any other reasons for others to not do the same. Philippines is just as poor as any third world country. So stop blaming yuppies and blame gang bangers for your neighborhood problems. After all y’all come from the same ethnic group