Man allegedly linked to the Boogaloo movement pleads guilty to 2020 fatal shooting of federal guard
By Sarah Moon and Steve Almasy, CNN
A California man who had symbols linked to the extremist Boogaloo movement pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder charges related to a 2020 “drive-by shooting” outside a federal building complex in Oakland, the US Department of Justice said in a news release Friday.
Steven Carrillo, who was an active-duty staff sergeant stationed at Travis Air Force Base at the time of the shooting, admitted his actions resulted in the death of Dave Patrick Underwood, a federal protective services officer, while another officer was injured, the Justice Department said.
Carrillo, 33, “admitted that he aligned himself with an anti-government movement and wanted to carry out violent acts against federal law enforcement officers.” the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said in the release, adding Carrillo “regularly discussed and encouraged violence against law enforcement.”
Carrillo acknowledged he got into a van with another individual and surveilled protests over the killing of George Floyd, the federal complex, and the surrounding area on May 29, 2020, according to the Justice Department statement.
While the other person drove the van, Carrillo opened the rear passenger-side sliding door and shot approximately 19 bullets at the officers, killing one officer and injuring another.
Citing a plea agreement, the US Attorney’s Office said the federal government will not seek the death penalty. Prosecutors recommended a 41-year prison sentence as well as “a lifetime term of supervised release.”
Judge Gonzalez Rogers of the US District Court for the Northern District of California has scheduled proceedings to determine whether to accept the plea agreement.
Carrillo’s attorney did not respond to CNN’s request for a comment.
Carrillo is also the suspect in the June 6, 2020 death of a Santa Cruz County, California, sheriff’s deputy, Sheriff Jim Hart said in June. Carrillo pleaded not guilty to murder charges in that case.
At that time, US Attorney David Anderson said Carrillo had symbols linked to the Boogaloo movement.
During the 2020 shootout with Santa Cruz sheriff’s deputies, Carrillo used his own blood to write Boogaloo phrases on a vehicle he allegedly carjacked while trying to flee, Anderson said, describing evidence found in the case.
The Boogaloo Bois or Boys are an emerging incarnation of extremism that seems to defy easy categorization. Boogaloo members appear to hold conflicting ideological views, with some identifying as anarchists and others rejecting formal titles. Some pockets of the group have espoused White supremacy while others reject it.
Carrillo was a team leader for the Phoenix Raven, a highly trained security team that guards US Air Force aircraft in high-terrorist and high-crime areas overseas, according to US Department of Defense records.
He served in Kuwait, Texas and Utah.
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CNN’s Cheri Mossburg, Theresa Waldrop and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
