A man arrested after a botched robbery left one person dead and four others suffering from gunshot wounds is the son of a delivery driver slain in a mass shooting at a UPS warehouse in San Francisco in 2017, The Standard has learned.
Malachi Lefiti, 22, was being held in jail until Tuesday on suspicion of murder in a Sunday night armed robbery gone wrong in North Beach, according to police. The gunfire injured Lefiti and killed one of his alleged accomplices, Isaiah Thomas, 23.
Lefiti’s father, Mike Lefiti, was one of the five victims shot by a disgruntled colleague at San Francisco’s UPS facility in Potrero Hill in 2017, Malachi’s mother confirmed when reached by The Standard on Tuesday.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who represents North Beach, said he was thankful to learn the most recent shooting was not random and that no bystanders were struck by stray gunfire. Still, he was shocked.
“We can’t make this kind of stuff up," Peskin said. “Gun battles in the heart of North Beach, it’s just spine-tingling."
Some experts define a mass shooting as an event in which four or more people are shot and injured or killed. Others define a mass shooting as an event in which four or more people are fatally shot, excluding the shooter.
In the 2017 case, UPS worker Jimmy Lam fatally shot three of his colleagues and injured two others before killing himself.
Malachi Lefiti’s mother, Heather Dixon, said the charges against her son are “bogus” and refuted claims her son is in a gang.
“I’ve never heard of my son being in a gang,” Dixon said.“[Police] make it seem like my son is a monster, and that’s not who I raised.”
Police say Malachi Lefiti, Thomas and another suspect tried to rob several people at gunpoint near Grant and Columbus avenues at around 11 p.m. on Sunday, but their efforts backfired.
Thomas, Lefiti and three others were shot in the fracas. Thomas died from his wounds at the scene.
On Monday, Lefiti, of Oakland, was booked into SF County Jail on suspicion of murder, three counts of attempted murder, attempted robbery, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and a gang enhancement, according to police. Police declined to say what gang he is allegedly affiliated with.
On Tuesday morning Lefiti was released from jail and his case was discharged by the SF District Attorney's Office. The DA has one year to refile the charges in the case.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to say Malachi Lefiti was released from jail on Tuesday and had a criminal case against him discharged by the DA's Office.