In Oakland, a Reality Star’s Death Leaves a Sister Facing Charges

There is a particular sorrow that settles over a family when tragedy arrives not from a stranger’s hand, but from within. In Oakland this week, a sister stands accused of firing the shot that killed her own sibling—a reality television personality whose life ended in the early hours of a Sunday morning, amid the noise of a street fight and the flash of a gun she never expected to be pointed her way.

Vernika Dunbar, 38, of Berkeley, was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter in the killing of Mackayla “Kash” Paige, 29, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office . The shooting occurred around 1:35 a.m. Sunday near the 200 block of 14th Street in downtown Oakland, close to the Cave Lounge .

According to a probable cause declaration, Dunbar told police she was with her sister and two others when an altercation broke out with another party. Paige was fighting with an unknown woman, and Dunbar retrieved a gun from one of the two other people with her, the document stated. Dunbar then had the firearm in her possession while trying to strike the unknown woman. “The firearm discharged and Paige was shot from Dunbar’s actions,” the declaration read .

Video circulating on social media shows a woman identified as Dunbar attempting to pistol-whip the person Paige was fighting, but after several swings, the gun goes off and Paige falls to the ground, mortally wounded . First responders found Paige suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. She was rushed to a hospital, where she later died .

In addition to involuntary manslaughter, Dunbar faces charges of assault with a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public, and brandishing a firearm in public . Involuntary manslaughter is less serious than murder under California law, but the accompanying enhancements could carry multiple years in prison if Dunbar is convicted as charged .

Paige, known professionally as “Kash,” appeared on several reality TV shows produced and streamed on the Now That’s TV network, including “Real West Coast Baddies,” “Room H8z,” and “Young & Reckless” . Her cousin, Charles Shavies, wrote in an online tribute that Paige “was more than a reality TV star and social media influencer—she was a beautiful young woman with big dreams, a bold personality, and a determination to make her mark on the world” .

Dunbar remains in police custody and is expected to be booked into Santa Rita Jail . The investigation into what sparked the altercation continues, but the charge itself tells a story of a family fractured by a single, irreversible moment.

The images accompanying this article have been generated by AI and are intended for illustrative purposes only.

Sources: KRON4, East Bay Times, KTVU, New York Post, Hindustan Times