Pinole woman, 27, killed by two gunmen at Oakland gas station

OAKLAND – Police here identified a 27-year-old Pinole resident who was killed in a shooting at a local gas station on March 23.

Courtney Merkt was killed in a 2022 Tesla Model Y as she sat in the driver’s seat of the vehicle outside a gas station in the 2200 block of East 12th Street. The shooting occurred about 15 minutes before 6 a.m. on March 23.

According to police, there are three suspects, none of whom have been publicly identified. No arrests have been announced and police have not said whether they have identified a motive for the crime.

However, authorities say Merkt was seen parking the Tesla and entering the supermarket at the gas station just before the three suspects pulled up in a Hyundai and a man entered the same store. After Merkt returned to her car and got into the driver’s seat, two suspects opened fire on the Tesla and then sped away.

According to authorities, police found the abandoned car a few days later in another part of Oakland.

Authorities say the same gas station was the scene of other shootings before Merkt was killed and that the three suspects are people involved in robberies that occurred hours before the murder. Merkt was Oakland’s 18th known murder victim of 2024.

Oakland police and crime investigators are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the killer. Anyone with information can call police at 510-238-3821 or 510-238-7950 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.