Fatal Stabbing Near Moscone Center Prompts SFPD Homicide Investigation

A fatal stabbing inside a South of Market residence brought San Francisco Police Department officers to the 900 block of Howard Street on Friday afternoon, March 13, 2026, triggering a homicide investigation less than a block from one of the city's busiest convention venues.

Officers were called to the scene at approximately 2:10 p.m. after reports of a stabbing near Moscone Center. At the Howard Street address, they found a person mortally wounded. Lifesaving efforts were attempted, but details on the medical response and the victim's identity remain unconfirmed pending official statements from SFPD and the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. No name, age, or gender for the victim has been released, and no suspect information has been made public in connection with the 2026 incident.

SFPD had not issued a formal press release or incident number as of this reporting. It remains unclear whether the department's Homicide Detail has formally assumed the investigation, though the circumstances, a person found mortally wounded inside a private residence, would typically prompt that unit's involvement under standard SFPD protocol.

Howard Street near Moscone Center has been the site of deadly violence before. In September 2018, 82-year-old Chii-Chyu Horng was fatally stabbed with a knife in the 800 block of Howard Street, one block west of Friday's scene. A 30-year-old man described as a relative of Horng's was arrested and detained for medical evaluation in that case. The 2018 homicide is entirely separate from Friday's incident and involves different addresses, victims, and circumstances.

Friday's stabbing occurred during a busy midday period in a corridor that sees heavy foot and vehicle traffic tied to Moscone Center events and the surrounding SoMa commercial district. Whether the victim was a resident of the Howard Street building or had another connection to the address has not been confirmed.

SFPD Media Relations, the San Francisco Fire Department, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are the appropriate agencies to contact for updated information on victim identity, cause of death, and any arrests. This investigation remains active and developing.