Suspect arrested in Rincon Hill killing of Bay Area rapper Curnal

San Francisco police announced Feb. 20 that a Hayward man has been arrested in the Feb. 9 killing of Bay Area rapper Keonte Antonio Deshawn Woods, who performed as Curnal. Authorities identified the suspect as 49-year-old Lamont Williams and said he was taken into custody on the 25000 block of Industrial Boulevard in Hayward before being booked into San Francisco County Jail #1.

The fatal shooting occurred just after 2:00 a.m. on Feb. 9 on Harrison Street in the Rincon Hill neighborhood. Accounts place the scene on the 500 block of Harrison Street near Second Street, about a block from the Bay Bridge freeway onramp. Police found the victim by the side of the road suffering gunshot wounds; he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Woods, 31, was reported as a Solano County resident who had built a following in Richmond’s hip-hop scene. He appeared on Thizzler TV in 2018, where he discussed encounters with police and his goals for Bay Area music, saying then, "I just want to show everybody like a different way... I’m just trying to lead the way me and T Mack and a few other people trying to lead the way." Those remarks were part of his public profile as investigators linked his death to the Feb. 9 shooting.

Williams was arrested nearly two weeks after the shooting. He was booked into San Francisco County Jail #1; a report indicates he was booked on murder charges, though formal charging documents and counts have not been released publicly. Local reporting identified the arrest location in Hayward and the booking into San Francisco custody, and the case remains under active investigation.

San Francisco police have asked anyone with information to contact the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444 or to text TIP411 beginning the message with "SFPD." Tipsters may remain anonymous. Investigators have not yet released a motive, whether Williams and Woods had any prior connection, or whether additional suspects are being sought.

The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation that began the morning of Feb. 9. Prosecutors, SFPD investigators, and the San Francisco County Jail booking records will be the next sources to confirm formal charges, arraignment scheduling, and any evidence that led to the Hayward arrest.