2019 Fresno shooting

On November 17, 2019, a mass shooting occurred at a Fresno, California football watch party with 35 to 40 people present, including several children. Four people were killed and six were injured.[1][2] It was the third mass shooting in California in less than a week,[3] the others being the Saugus High School shooting that killed three and injured another three in Santa Clarita, and a family murder–suicide in San Diego that killed five and injured one.[4][5]

2019 Fresno shooting
Fresno
Fresno (California)
Fresno
Fresno (the United States)
DateNovember 17, 2019
Time6:00 p.m. PST (0200 UTC)
LocationFresno, California
TypeMass shooting
Deaths4
Non-fatal injuries6

Incident

The shooting happened in a backyard of a home when a group of friends and families were holding a football watch party, to watch the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears.[1] The party was composed of about 35 to 40 friends and family members of the home owner in attendance.[6] At some point during the party the women and children attending the party had moved inside to watch TV, while 16 men stayed outside to continue watching the football game.[7] At least two suspects snuck through an unlocked gate of the home around 6:00 pm PST and opened fire indiscriminately before they fled on foot.[8]

Victims

The deceased victims were all men between the ages of 23 and 40 years old.[1] Three men were pronounced dead at the scene while another was transported to Community Regional Medical Center where he died of his injuries. Two of the deceased were well-known Southeast Asian singers.[9]

Five others were treated with non-life threatening wounds at the same hospital while another was treated at a different hospital. The surviving victims are men between the ages of 28 and 36.[1] All of the victims are members of the Hmong community in Fresno.[10][11]

Investigation

The Fresno Police Department is investigating the incident, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Clovis Police Department.[12] Fresno Police Deputy Chief Michael Reed said the victims were "likely targeted". The department mobilized an "Asian Gang Task Force" to look into concerns about the attack being connected to a recent spike in violent crime by Asian gangs.[13]

On December 31, six suspects were arrested in connection with the shooting, all of whom are believed to members of the Mongolian Boys Society gang. One of the victims was a former member of rival gang the Asian Crips. The shooting was allegedly retaliation for the murder of a Mongolian Boys Society member by a member of the Asian Crips.[14] The suspects are currently detained at the Fresno County Jail and will each face four counts of homicide, 12 counts of attempted homicide, and conspiracy to commit murder with gang and firearms enhancements.[15] In February, a seventh suspect was arrested and charged with the same offenses.[16]

Response

The Fresno area is home to the largest Hmong population in California and the second-largest in the United States. Their community expressed sadness and bewilderment.[9][11]

Politicians such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Fresno City Councilman Luis Chavez responded to the incident with statements.[7]

See also

References
  1. Silverman, Hollie (November 17, 2019). "At least 10 people were shot and 4 of them were killed at a football watch party in Fresno". CNN. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  2. "Fresno shooting: four dead after attack at backyard party". The Guardian. Associated Press. November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  3. Levin, Sam (November 18, 2019). "Nine dead after California sees three mass shootings in four days". The Guardian. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  4. Teen gunman who killed two in shooting rampage at California high school dies in hospital The Cincinnati Enquirer, November 15, 2019
  5. San Diego Shooting: Man Kills Estranged Wife and 3 Sons, Officials Say The New York Times, November 16, 2019
  6. Johnson, Alex; Chirbas, Kurt; Madani, Doha (November 18, 2019). "4 killed, 6 others shot at family gathering in Fresno, California". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  7. Ortiz, James Ward, Sheyanne N. Romero, John Bacon and Jorge L. "Fresno police look into gang connection after shooting at football party leaves 4 dead, 6 wounded". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  8. Dakss, Brian; Sundby, Alex (November 18, 2019). "Deadly shooting at Fresno football party appears to have been "targeted act of violence," police say". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  9. Hawkins, Derek; Shepherd, Katie; Mettler, Katie (November 18, 2019). "Shooting at Fresno, Calif., backyard party kills four and wounds six in targeted attack, police say". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  10. Cassidy, Megan; Cabanatuan, Michael (November 18, 2019). "Fresno mass shooting: Gunmen opened fire on Hmong family party as they watched football". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  11. Levin, Sam (November 24, 2019). "'Why did you kill my son?': mass shooting leaves Fresno's Hmong community shattered". The Guardian. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  12. "Another suspect in November mass shooting now booked in Fresno Co. Jail".
  13. Fresno Shooting: 4 Dead, 6 Injured In Mass Shooting During Fresno Backyard Gathering KPIX, November 18, 2019
  14. Sheyanne N Romero and James Ward (December 31, 2019). "6 suspected gang members arrested in shooting in Fresno backyard that killed 4". USA TODAY.
  15. Levin, Sam (January 3, 2019). "Fresno mass shooting: police arrest six suspects in deadly November attack". The Guardian. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  16. Rose, Sontaya (February 2, 2020). "Another suspect in November mass shooting now booked in Fresno Co. Jail". KFSN-TV. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
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