Three men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for the 2021 murder of Kevin Nishita, a retired Oakland police officer working security for a local TV news crew. Laron Gilbert received 30 years to life for first-degree murder, while Shadihia Mitchell and Hershel Hale each got 25 years for robbery. The shooting occurred during an attempted robbery of camera equipment the day before Thanksgiving.
Kevin Nishita, 56, was protecting a KRON news crew in Oakland when Laron Gilbert, Shadihia Mitchell, and Hershel Hale attacked them in November 2021. Gilbert, the gunman, shot Nishita in the abdomen as the group tried to steal camera gear. Nishita died three days later in the hospital after being asked to work 'just a few hours' on his day off, as his wife Virginia later recounted at the sentencing hearing in Alameda County this week. The men had pleaded no contest and were convicted in February; Gilbert to first-degree murder, the others to robbery. Oakland Police identified the suspects using surveillance video, forensic evidence, and witness statements, according to charging documents. Virginia Nishita shared her regret in a victim's impact statement: 'Saying 'OK' has haunted me... I wish I could go back to that day … and say, 'no.'' The couple had two children and three grandchildren. Nishita's daughter, Maureen Campos, spoke after the killing about her father's wishes: 'I know for one thing he wants us to stop crying... it's too hard to do.' Nishita had served with the Oakland Housing Authority, Hayward Police Department, San Jose Police Department, and Colma Police Department.