Man charged with murder in Berkeley homeless shelter

A man who was involved in past conflicts at the Berkeley homeless shelter where he lived has now been charged with the murder of his roommate, police and court records show.

According to police, 62-year-old Mark Dowling shot and killed 37-year-old Marcel Jones on Sunday evening in the room they shared at the Harrison House at 711 Harrison Street in northwest Berkeley.

Dowling had the top bunk and Jones had the bottom bunk, police wrote. According to court records, the two men did not get along.

Surveillance footage and numerous witnesses helped police link Dowling to the case.

According to court documents, there was an argument and physical altercation between Dowling and Jones in the hours before the shooting.

According to police, the men initially argued about a Tupac song or something similar because Jones was “known for playing loud music.”

Jones reportedly “won the fight” and beat up Dowling, police wrote.

At around 4 p.m., a manager at Harrison House asked the men to “keep their distance,” police wrote.

When Jones returned to her room, Dowling had thrown Jones' belongings on the floor, which sparked another argument, according to BPD.

Dowling also reportedly spit on Jones' bed.

“We could do a second round if you want,” Jones allegedly told Dowling, BPD wrote.

Dowling responded by whispering something in Jones' ear, police said, to which Jones replied, “Come on then,” with his arms spread wide.

Dowling then pulled out a gun and shot Jones multiple times, causing gunshot wounds to his chest, back and abdomen, police wrote.

Witnesses found Jones bleeding on the ground after the shooting. The BPD's attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

The Berkeley Fire Department pronounced Jones dead at 5:38 p.m. The Scanner was the first station to report the murder.

Man killed in shooting at Harrison House in Berkeley

When officers arrived, they found a man in the building with numerous gunshot wounds. Attempts to resuscitate him failed.

Several witnesses who saw or heard the shooting described it to BPD, court records show. Some witnesses said they heard nine or 10 gunshots that day.

One man said Dowling jumped over him and crawled out of her room window to escape.

According to court documents, police found a shoe outside the window that they believed to be one of Dowling's tennis shoes.

Video footage from a nearby surveillance camera shows Dowling taking an item from his trunk and hiding it in his waistband before returning to the hideout, police wrote.

According to the BPD, gunshots were also heard on the recordings at 5:22 p.m.

The next morning, investigators tracked Dowling down using cell phone records and arrested him on Fourth Street. (The Scanner was first to report the news.)

Berkeley police arrest murder suspect from homeless shelter

The murder victim was identified as nursing home resident Marcel Jones.

During the arrest, police confiscated Dowling's phone, clothing, firearms and other items, according to court documents.

Police also wrote that Dowling owned five firearms registered to him and had several arrests, including an arrest in May where he reportedly pointed a knife at a woman.

According to court records, he has never been charged in Alameda County.

Police wrote that Dowling moved into the Harrison House after his wife kicked him out several months earlier.

According to police, Jones had been living at Harrison House for six or seven months.

Dowling had difficulty coping in the home and repeatedly came into conflict with people, BPD wrote.

A witness told BPD that Dowling had previously called him the N-word and threatened to shoot him, saying, “I'm going to shoot you full of holes.”

In another incident, police said, Dowling “made derogatory comments about black women, and the other man had had enough of it.”

BPD continued, “Dowling threatened to shoot him and 'drill a hole in him.'”

In a statement Tuesday, Berkeley police said the Alameda County District Attorney's Office had charged Dowling with murder.

At the time of publication, the case had not appeared in the court records.

According to jail records, Dowling is being held without bail at the Santa Rita Jail and his arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday.