A reality TV star was shot dead outside an Oakland nightclub by the very sister who rushed in to defend her during a brawl, police say.
Prosecutors in Northern California have charged Vernika Dunbar, 38, with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of her younger sister, reality television personality Mackayla “Kash” Paige, 29, outside a downtown Oakland, Calif., nightclub early Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office filed the charge. Dunbar also faces assault with a firearm and gun violations tied to an attempted pistol-whipping.
Police said Dunbar came to her sister’s defense during the brawl and tried to pistol-whip a woman who was fighting with Paige. Investigators say the shot instead struck and killed her sister.
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) confirmed the arrest, which came the same day as the killing. Officers booked Dunbar into Santa Rita Jail early Oct. 11, and she is being held without bail.
Chaos Outside Cave Lounge
Officers answered reports of a shooting near 14th and Harrison Streets at about 1:30 a.m. They found a 29-year-old Richmond woman with at least one gunshot wound.
Officers tried lifesaving measures at the scene. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.
A TikTok video showed a heavy police presence outside Cave Lounge, near the shooting location. Police have not said what started the fight.
A separate video circulating online purports to show an altercation involving Paige before her death. Oakland police forwarded the clip to the case investigator for review on Friday, Oct. 16, but said they could not yet verify it.
A Cousin’s Heartbreaking Words
A memorial has grown at the intersection where Paige was shot. Loved ones gathered at the scene near 14th and Harrison Streets on Monday, Oct. 12.
Her cousin, Azima King, said the loss is still difficult to process. King described the hours after the shooting as floating and shaking.
King said Paige had ambitions beyond reality television. “She just wanted better for her life. And she wanted to be better. And she wanted to change,” King told ABC7 Eyewitness News on Monday, Oct. 12.
King also urged the public to wait for facts rather than online rumors, saying the family has the situation in hand.
Paige’s father, Mack Paige Jr., asked the public on Thursday, Oct. 15, to stop sending hateful messages to Dunbar. “Anger has nowhere and no place in my heart, in none of my family’s heart, even for her sister Vernika,” he told KRON4. “She’s dealing with a lot.”
He said his daughter had been ready to step away from the spotlight and pursue a career as a makeup artist.
The investigation remains open. Oakland police asked anyone with information or video of the shooting to call the homicide section at 510-238-3821.
Paige built her following through appearances on Now That’s TV, a streaming platform whose programming often centers on dramatic, physical confrontations. Her shows included “Young & Reckless,” “Real West Coast Baddies,” “RoomH8z” and “Now That’s Riot.”
Now That’s TV posted an Instagram tribute on Sunday, Oct. 11, writing that her memory would live on.
Another Deadly Night Tied to Reality TV
Another fatal shooting tied to the Bay Area reality TV scene came before Paige’s death. Someone shot and killed security guard Ulysses Tykee Davis, 47, a father of six, on Oct. 3 outside San Francisco’s Warfield Theater after an event associated with “Baddies USA.”
“Baddies USA” airs on the separate Zeus Network. Prosecutors charged Shakia Vanderbilt, 32, with murder in Davis’ death. There is no evidence the two shootings are connected.
An Expert Warns About the On-Screen Fights
The two cases have renewed scrutiny of reality programs built around physical altercations. Some social media users are calling for the shows to be canceled.
Dr. Donnetrice Allison, chair of the Africana Studies Department at Stockton University in New Jersey, has spent years researching the portrayal of Black women on reality television. “People say ‘It’s harmless entertainment.’ I really don’t think it’s that,” Allison said.
Allison said the scramble for online attention can push participants toward increasingly extreme behavior. She raised concerns about the role producers play in encouraging confrontations, and about on-screen conduct shaping off-screen behavior.
