Two men killed in San Francisco loft apartment by their would-be victims

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A home invasion robbery that went awry at an apartment in the trendy South of Market district left two men dead who were shot and killed by two of their would-be victims, authorities said.

Police have identified one of the men, 32-year-old Deandre Johnson of San Francisco, who died at San Francisco General Hospital. The other man, who hasn't been identified, was also fatally wounded.

The attempted robbery occurred about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at the loft apartment of Brian Walters, a 26-year-old concert promoter. Walters was visited by Detrick Washington, his girlfriend and the couple's two sons, ages 3 and 5, when Johnson showed up at the apartment with a second man armed with a machete. Johnson allegedly pulled out a gun and wanted to know where Walters' safe was.

"After these gigs, he 1/8Walters 3/8 supposedly had all this money around," said Lt. Judie Pursell. "But it was not an exorbitant amount."

While Johnson looked for the safe, the other man bound the woman's hands with duct tape and placed a bedsheet over her and the children, police said.

Johnson found the safe and tried to carry it down a flight of stairs but he left his gun on a couch, Pursell said. Washington told police that he and the machete-wielding man both lunged for the gun but he grabbed it first and shot the intruder.

He then gave the gun to Walters, who called 911 and kept Johnson at bay. Police said Johnson was shot when he was involved in a scuffle with Walters. Gunfire could be heard on the 911 tape, police said.

"It's still very confusing and it's going to take a while to sort this all out," Pursell said.

It wasn't immediately known whether Walters or Washington would face any criminal charges.

The woman and children were not injured and Walters and Washington received only minor cuts.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2001