Kash Paige's Half-Sister Vernika Dunbar Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter
Vernika Dunbar, 38, the half-sister of reality star Mackayla "Kash" Paige, was charged Oct. 13, 2026 with involuntary manslaughter, assault with a firearm and gun counts; Oakland police say she was trying to pistol-whip a woman fighting Paige when the gun went off.
The woman police say fired the shot that killed reality star Mackayla "Kash" Paige is her own half-sister, and now she's charged.
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged Vernika Dunbar, 38, of Richmond, with involuntary manslaughter in Paige's death, KTVU reported, citing Oakland police. The East Bay Times, citing court records, reported Dunbar is Paige's half-sister and is also charged with assault with a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm in public, all felonies, plus a misdemeanor count of brandishing a gun. The charges were filed Tuesday afternoon.
Oakland police say Dunbar was trying to pistol-whip a woman who was fighting with Paige on the 200 block of 14th Street in downtown Oakland early Sunday, Oct. 11, but the gun went off and the shot hit Paige instead. The East Bay Times reported that a widely shared video appears to show a woman identified as Dunbar swinging a pistol at the other woman several times before the gun fires and Paige falls. Paige, 29, died a little after 1:35 a.m.
Dunbar has been in custody since the shooting, authorities said. The charges are allegations; she has not been convicted. Involuntary manslaughter is far less serious than murder under the law, but the East Bay Times reported the charges carry enhancements that could add years in prison if she is convicted as charged. Police have not said what started the fight.
Paige appeared on Now That's TV shows including Real West Coast Baddies, RoomH8z and Young & Reckless. A sidewalk memorial has grown on 14th Street near Harrison.
Sources: KTVU FOX 2 / Henry K. Lee (Oct. 13, 2026, citing Oakland police and the Alameda County DA); East Bay Times / Bay Area News Group (Oct. 13, 2026, court records). Photo: Instagram/@spoilmewitkash via New York Post.