A small memorial sits outside the Golden Bull bar on 14th Street in Oakland, where musician Emiliano Nevarez was shot and killed over the weekend, onApril
A small memorial sits outside the Golden Bull bar on 14th Street in Oakland, where musician Emiliano Nevarez was shot and killed over the weekend, onApril 6, 2015. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

OAKLAND -- Family and friends are mourning a 26-year-old musician gunned down over the weekend, the unintended victim of a shooting outside a downtown Oakland club.
Emiliano Nevarez, a bass player and vocalist for the punk rock band "The Lucky Eejits," was packing up equipment when the stray bullet struck him, police said.
His mother, Bernadette Valadez, of Fresno, said she was comforted that her son was with friends when he died.
"My son was a really great kid in the wrong place at the wrong time," Valadez said Monday.
A Berkeley resident, Nevarez played in the band every Saturday night, and during the week he worked as a sound engineer. He was a graduate of Antioch High School and had received a bachelor's degree in audio engineering from Ex'pression College in Emeryville.

"He was just an innocent band member who was just bringing his equipment out," police Sgt. Eric Milina said.
 Officers responded around 1:15 a.m. to 412 14th St., police said. They found Nevarez and another unintended victim -- a 34-year-old man -- who had also been shot and wounded, police said. Police said the second victim was also part of the entertainment at the club that night.
Milina said that two other men, who may have been at another club on the block, had been arguing on the sidewalk near the bar. One of them left, returned with a gun and began shooting. He missed his intended target, but the gunfire hit Nevarez, who was bringing equipment out of the bar. Patrons and performers were shocked, crying as the musician died at the scene.

His mother said Nevarez was shot in the neck.
"There was a lot of blood and they couldn't stop it," she said. "It sounded like he didn't suffer."
Nevarez's best friend was by his side and his longtime girlfriend was there as well, she said.
Police said no arrests have been made in the case.

Nevarez's band was one of four playing a gig Saturday at The Golden Bull on 14th Street. On Monday morning, condolences filled The Lucky Eejits' Facebook page.
"Saturday April 4th our lives shook and have been put to a halt," his bandmates Casey Fitzpatrick and Tyler Salinas wrote. "This is the last thing I feel we would ever have to do collectively as a group and announce. Emilio was doing what we always do after our shows and prepping our gear to load back in the van. Just minutes before the tragedy (we) were walking to get the van to bring up front to load. Before we could even pull it up our brother was gone.

"We have been in a dark world of sadness and pure confusion as to why this happened to our beloved, beautiful and talented friend. If you knew Emilio you know he would tell us all not to cry and not to be sad. He would want each and every one of us to be strong. He was and will always be to us a strong man and incredible influence to our sound."

His friends and mother said a memorial service date is pending.
Valadez said Nevarez grew up in a musical household. His older sister and brother played the flute and clarinet, and Valadez said she is trained as a classical vocalist and piano player.
Nevarez started playing trumpet at age 5 and played in a youth symphony before learning the guitar, Valadez said.

She said she sent him a text message to wish him a Happy Easter and was wondering why he hadn't replied when she got a call from the coroner's office.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by his father, Rudy Nevarez; his brother, Adam Hartwick of Thousand Oaks; and his sister, Ana Hartwick-George of Los Gatos.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $20,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the gunman.

Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821 or Crime Stoppers a 510-777-8572.
Bay City News Service contributed to this report.
Contact Natalie Neysa Alund at 510-293-2469. Follow her at Twitter.com/nataliealund. Contact Harry Harris at hharris@bayareanewsgroup.com