One of the greatest point guards in Cal basketball history and a member of the Golden Bears sports hall of fame, Gene Ransom, 65, was fatally shot while driving on Interstate 880 in Oakland, California, a family member told KPIX on Saturday.
California Highway Patrol officers responded to a crash on I-880 on Friday around 5:15 pm to find that the victim in the crash has suffered a fatal gunshot wound, KPIX reported. CHP noted that following the shooting, the driver crashed into a guardrail and stopped.
An investigation was launched into the incident and a suspect was identified in connection with the shooting. San Fransisco resident, Juan Angel Garcia, 25, was arrested on Saturday at 10 am, CHP noted in a statement. Garcia was booked into Alameda County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Gene Ransom never played an NBA game
A star on the Cal hoops team, the 5-foot-9 point guard has a handful of records to his name. He held the Cal record for most minutes played in a game. In 1977, he played 63.5 minutes in the team's 5-overtime win over Oregon, scoring 36 points in that game.
After his time at Cal, Ransom was signed by the Golden State Warriors in 1979. He, however, never played an NBA game. Ransom was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
Cal Athletics assistant director of communications Gerrit Van Genderen released a statement on Gene Ransom's demise Saturday afternoon. "Our thoughts are with Gene's family and friends for this tragic loss. Gene was one of the greatest players in our men's basketball program's history and he will be greatly missed," the statement said.
More details about the incident are expected to surface after the investigation. The cause behind the suspect's actions was not known at the moment. It is not clear if the victim and the suspect knew each other.
CHP Golden Gate Division detectives have requested anyone with any information about the incident contact them at the CHP investigation tip line, (707) 917-4491.
