Bryn Walker designer, CEO identified in fatal shooting
Neighbors heard two gunshots. A woman at the scene told KTVU her brother-in-law had been having mental health problems.
Neighbors have identified the married couple found deceased outside their Oakland home on Panoramic Hill on Friday as Michelle and Bryan Walker.
Without naming the victims Friday morning, Oakland police said the couple had sustained gunshot wounds, that a gun was found at the scene and that investigators were not looking for anyone else.
A neighbor who heard gunfire discovered the couple outside their home at 499 Panoramic Way at about 10:45 a.m., police said. They died despite life-saving efforts.
Online maps and real estate records show that 499 Panoramic Way marks a driveway leading to 435 Panoramic Way, where Michelle, 63, lived with Bryan, 64.
The property, just two lots east of the Berkeley border, last sold in 2009.
In a news segment Friday afternoon, KPIX said it had reviewed surveillance footage that captured the sound of the shooting: a gunshot, followed by "a man screaming and crying," then a second gunshot followed by silence.
"It's too graphic to play on air," said reporter Da Lin.
A woman at the scene told KTVU the female victim was her sister "and that her brother-in-law had been experiencing mental health challenges."
Michelle Walker, who is listed as Michelle Min in public records, was a clothing designer who began the Berkeley-based clothing brand Bryn Walker in 1992.
"Bryn Walker continues to design and produce clothing in the San Francisco Bay Area, and enjoys a loyal and enthusiastic following with pieces which are timeless and versatile as well as practical," according to the company website.
Bryn Walker "wholesales to around a thousand boutiques nationwide" and lists three stores on its website: two in Berkeley, at 1799 Fourth St. and 2111 D Vine St., and one in Massachusetts. The brand is also available in department stores like Dillard's.
According to another site, promoting a museum fashion show in Florida, Michelle and Bryan Walker produced clothing together at Bryn Walker, emphasizing "comfort and style for women of all ages."
Bryan Walker was the company CEO, according to his LinkedIn page.
During the pandemic, the company partnered with a Bay Area nonprofit, It Takes A Village, "to sew 50,000 fabric face masks and construct 5,000 face shields" to donate to local hospitals, according to a 2020 article by TMC Financing.
The couple seemed to keep a low profile, with neighbors saying they were quiet and often kept to themselves.
Both were registered to vote at a West Berkeley commercial building associated with Bryn Walker.
The company does not appear to have active social media pages, including on Facebook. Its Instagram pages are private or inactive.
As of publication time, Bryn Walker had not responded to requests for information.
The Alameda County coroner's office said a press hold remains in place, preventing it from releasing the names of the deceased.
"OPD's Homicide Division is conducting a follow-up investigation into the circumstances surrounding their death," the department said Friday in a brief statement.
OPD asks anyone with information, video or photos related to the case to call the Homicide Section at 510-238-3821 or the tip line at 510-238-7950, or email cidvideos@oaklandca.gov.
