Coronado Man Identified As Victim In Oakland Fire

CORONADO, CA - One of the victims of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire identified Sunday was a Coronado native and an employee at the Berkeley publishing house Counterpoint Press.

Nick Gomez-Hall, 25, originally from Coronado, was an artist and had recently begun designing books. He worked as an administrative assistant at Counterpoint, according to reports.

Gomez-Hall’s Facebook page shows that he was interested in social justice issues like racial inequality and the environment. On Nov. 28, his most recent publicly available post, he asked his friends to consider donating money to Mark Baumer, an author and activist who is walking barefoot across the U.S.

“Follow his walk if you want to see a real human experiencing pain, joy, and wonder,” Gomez-Hall wrote. “Follow his walk if you oppose racism, capitalism, and environmental destruction.”

Gomez-Hall’s Facebook page indicates that he used to live in Providence, Rhode Island. A 2011 article from The Brown Daily Herald – the student newspaper at Brown University, located in Providence – quotes Gomez-Hall praising a Brown instructor, Mark Baumer. The article indicates that Gomez-Hall was on track to graduate from Brown in 2013.

The Ghost Ship fire broke out Friday night during an electronic music concert at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. At least 33 people died, although authorities still have 60 percent of the building left to search.

The fire broke out around 11:30 Friday night during the Golden Donna 100% Silk 2016 West Coast Tour rave. Oakland officials have said that the building was being used as a live-work space for artists. There were apparently no fire alarms or working sprinklers inside the building.

When firefighters arrived Friday night, they were met with flames shooting out of three sides of the building. The fire grew so intense that it became too dangerous for them to enter.

Read the latest coverage of the Ghost Ship fire here.