Hayward Man Arrested for Fatal Feb. 9 Shooting in Rincon Hill

San Francisco police announced that Lamont Williams, 49, was taken into custody in Hayward and booked into San Francisco County Jail #1 on murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting that left Richmond rapper Curnal dead in Rincon Hill. The shooting happened just after 2:00 a.m. on Feb. 9; officers originally responded to the 500 block of Harrison Street at about 2:02 a.m. and found the victim suffering gunshot wounds, authorities said. Curnal was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The arrest was announced Friday, Feb. 20, nearly two weeks after the early-morning attack, according to the city announcement. Police reported the arrest occurred in Hayward and that Williams was booked on murder charges at the county jail; the reports did not include a booking number, bail amount, or the full charging instrument in the material released so far.

The victim, known by the stage name Curnal, was 31 and identified in reporting as a Solano County resident who built a following in Richmond’s hip-hop scene. He appeared on Thizzler TV in 2018 and in that interview said, “I just want to show everybody like a different way,” and “I’m just trying to lead the way me and T Mack and a few other people trying to lead the way.” Reporting on his background noted that his brother’s 13-year prison sentence when Curnal was young helped shape his decision to pursue music as an alternative to street life.

Police and local reporters noted the shooting came hours after the Super Bowl ended. The homicide has become part of a broader surge in violence recorded by city authorities this year: San Francisco registered six homicides in the first seven weeks of 2026, compared with one homicide during the same period last year, a sharp increase after historic lows in 2025.

Officials have not released a full investigative narrative, including motive, whether a weapon was recovered, or the victim’s legal name beyond his stage moniker in the material provided. The announcement confirms an arrest and a booking into San Francisco County Jail #1 on murder charges, while charging details and any scheduled arraignment remain unreported in the materials released to date. Investigators continue to develop the case in the Rincon Hill and Yerba Buena area, and city authorities are expected to provide further details as the prosecution and coroner’s office complete their review.