Two men were charged Wednesday in connection with the shooting of San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White during a Super Bowl weekend party, an incident that prompted a sweeping multi-agency law enforcement investigation dubbed “Operation D-Line.”
The shooting took place in the early hours of Feb. 9 in the VIP area of the Dahlia Lounge, located in San Francisco’s Mission District. According to San Francisco Dist. Atty. Brooke Jenkins, 36-year-old Gregory Walker of Mountain House fired the weapon that wounded White. Walker was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department and charged with assault with a firearm, causing great bodily injury, and multiple felony weapons offenses, including possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a concealed firearm by a felon, and possession of a loaded firearm by a felon.
A second suspect, 35-year-old Curtis Green of Irvine, was charged with brandishing a firearm at the party and booked in San Francisco on misdemeanor weapons charges. Two other suspects detained during the investigation, 38-year-old Marquis Davis of Atlanta and 36-year-old Antoine Washington of Stockton, faced no immediately announced local charges because they were not yet in custody in San Francisco, police said.
Authorities stated that Davis was arrested in Atlanta, where law enforcement officers reported recovering significant quantities of narcotics from his residence, including 979 grams of cocaine, 820 grams of MDMA, 1,026 grams of methamphetamine, and 3,842 grams of fentanyl. Washington was arrested in Stockton, where police reported finding a loaded firearm and oxycodone pills.
The arrests stemmed from an extensive interstate investigation that involved executing more than 50 search warrants and utilizing the assistance of more than 250 law enforcement personnel nationwide, officials announced Wednesday.
San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew addressed the case in a statement, emphasizing the gravity of the response. “This kind of violence is unacceptable in San Francisco, and we devoted significant resources to holding the perpetrators of this incident accountable,” Lew said.
According to a police report detailing the events of the night, the violence erupted after an argument broke out between White, Atlanta rapper Lil Baby, and the rapper’s entourage. Members of the entourage had attempted to enter White’s private party, which was held downstairs in the venue. Lil Baby, whose given name is Dominique Jones and who won a Grammy in 2022, had performed earlier that evening at the Grand nightclub in San Francisco before heading to the Dahlia Lounge, where adult entertainers were performing on the main floor.
An unidentified witness from White’s group told police that after walking upstairs to seek assistance in breaking up the escalating conflict, he heard two gunshots ring out. Returning downstairs, the witness discovered that White had been struck in the left leg, with a bullet hitting his ankle. When police officers subsequently entered the establishment, the investigative report noted that topless women and other adult entertainers were seen gathering dollar bills strewn across the floor.
White sustained non-life-threatening injuries and later shared updates regarding his recovery on social media. A day after the shooting, he posted a message on Instagram stating, “For those who know me, y’all know this won’t stop me from spreading peace and joy to the world. Full steam ahead. I’m in great spirits and ready to make the most of this off-season.” He later posted a photograph from his hospital room smiling, adding that he had undergone successful surgery and thanking supporters for their prayers and concerns.
White entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick for the New England Patriots in 2023. He played in five games for the unbeaten 49ers, recording three sacks and nine tackles, after being traded from the Patriots following that team’s appearance in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The shooting marks the second time in two years that a San Francisco 49ers player has been struck by gunfire in the city, following a 2024 incident in which rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in Union Square during an alleged robbery attempt by a teenager.
