A San Francisco man pleaded not guilty Thursday to attempted murder and other charges stemming from a weekend shooting at a homeless shelter that wounded one man.
Taylor Reed, 29, was arraigned in San Francisco Superior Court in connection with Saturday’s shooting at St. Vincent de Paul Multi-Service Center South, at 525 Fifth St. Prosecutors allege Reed shot the victim, who was staying at the shelter, four times in the abdomen at close range.
Reed faces charges of attempted murder, carrying a loaded firearm, and carrying a concealed firearm, according to documents obtained by The Standard.
During Thursday morning’s hearing, Herman Holland, the deputy public defender, argued that Reed acted in self-defense after the victim allegedly struck him in the head with a metal security wand. Holland told the court Reed has a medical condition stemming from a childhood brain surgery that makes head injuries potentially lethal.
“Mr. Reed feared for his life,” Holland said, noting that a staff member of the shelter witnessed the victim on top of Reed during the fight that preceded the shooting.
Holland added that Reed presented himself to police after the shooting, told officers he shot the victim, and offered them his firearm. The public defender said Reed told police the confrontation began after he accused the victim of spiking the drink of one of his friends and assaulting her.
Deputy District Attorney Reve Bautista painted a different picture, alleging that Reed drew a 9mm Springfield semi-automatic pistol after the initial altercation was broken up by shelter staff. According to Bautista, Reed racked the slide of his gun before firing from “one to two feet away” as the victim attempted to flee up a stairwell.
The victim sustained four gunshot wounds to the abdomen, contradicting initial reports that he had been shot in the legs. The firearm was legally registered to Reed, according to court documents.
“I am grateful for SFPD’s swift response to this incident and that thankfully no loss of life occurred,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. “Those who are attempting to access shelter beds at night are some of our most vulnerable and our homeless shelters must be protected and provide a safe environment for all those experiencing homelessness.”
Superior Court Judge Kenneth Wine ordered Reed detained pending trial, citing the “incredibly dangerous” nature of the close-range shooting. “He’s lucky he’s not facing a murder charge,” Wine said as he denied bail.
Holland emphasized that Reed has no prior criminal record and characterized the shooting as “an anomaly in his life.”
“I believe there’s a lot of backstory here about what kind of sparked this fight, and what this alleged victim may have done to Mr. Reed’s friend and why they had an argument in the first place,” Holland told The Standard after the hearing. “I think it’s clear that this person attacked a vulnerable part of Mr. Reed based on some of his medical history.”
Reed is due back in court Jan. 23 for a preliminary hearing, during which the judge determines whether the prosecution has enough evidence to proceed to trial.