Police: Man shot dead in Union City because of jealousy

Kenneth Young Kenneth Young Photo: Union City Police Photo: Union City Police Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Police: Man shot dead in Union City because of jealousy 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Two men were arrested and charged with murder in the Union City shooting death of a man in a bar who was speaking to an ex-girlfriend of one of the suspects, police said Monday.

Tjorn Ernis MaGee, 32, of Salinas was shot at least nine times in the parking lot of the Spot at 32611 Alvarado Blvd. shortly before midnight Friday, police said. MaGee died at the scene.

Witnesses — including a security guard who also works as a University of San Francisco police officer — told police that the assailants drove away from the bar in a white van.

Fremont police Sgt. Kurtis Romley spotted a similar van on Interstate 880 and followed it to Interstate 680. Officers tried to pull it over, but the two men inside refused to stop and threw what later was determined to be bags of cocaine and heroin out the van’s windows, police said.

The men eventually pulled over on I-680 near Washington Boulevard. Officers arrested the driver, Gary Wayne Gates, 53, of East Palo Alto and Kenneth Young, 53, of San Jose.

Young became jealous when he saw an ex-girlfriend talking to MaGee and shot and killed him, said Union City police Lt. Matias Pardo.

During a search of the freeway Sunday, police found a .32-caliber Beretta handgun, which was consistent with casings that were found in the bar’s parking lot, authorities said.

Gates and Young were booked on suspicion of murder and were being held without bail. On Monday, Alameda County prosecutors charged both with murder.

Young, who has previous drug and weapons convictions, was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gates has previous drug convictions, records show.

Henry K. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: hlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @henryklee