Man shot above eye after instigating fight in central Fresno

A man was shot above the eye after instigating a fight around midnight Sunday in central Fresno, police said.

Officers found the man, 31-year-old Fabian Salas, bleeding profusely from his head. He was also beaten up.

After conducting interviews, officers realized Salas had challenged another man, who was not identified, to a fight outside their apartment complex on McKinley Avenue east of First Street. The man and a few of his friends had grilled food and were sitting and talking in the courtyard area when Salas came outside of his apartment. He appeared to be intoxicated and began yelling at the victim.

The man yelled back and the two began to argue. Salas yelled about being in a gang and then lifted his shirt to expose the handle of a gun tucked in his waistband.

Salas got more upset as the man did not back down. He pulled out the gun and the man began punching him. The two fell to the ground and wrestled over the gun.

Salas tried to pull the trigger but the gun wouldn’t go off. The other man told officers he got the gun pointed back at Salas and then it went off, striking Salas above the eye.

A neighbor came out of his apartment after hearing the gunshot. He saw the two men still fighting, so he picked up the gun and tossed it aside, then helped hold down Salas until police arrived.

Salas is in custody at Community Regional Medical Center.

This story was originally published September 6, 2015 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Man shot above eye after instigating fight in central Fresno."