Police: Southwest Fresno shooting of 5 may be tied to gangs

Police believe that a shooting in which five people were wounded Wednesday night in southwest Fresno is gang-related.

Lt. Burke Farrah of the department’s Street Violence Section said the incident at California Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard was probably “motivated by ongoing gang feuds.

“We are actively pursuing leads developed during our investigation overnight,” he added.

Farrah said one of the victims underwent surgery but is expected to recover. The other four were treated and released.

The shooting took place in a strip mall outside Zack’s Market. The victims were described as three men, one boy and one girl. The initial description of the shooter was that of a man who may have been driving a white SUV. An officer at the scene said a large group were gathered in the parking lot when gunfire erupted.

The intersection was the scene of a murder earlier this year. In February, Toma Threat, 19, was shot to death while walking in the area. At the time, police speculated that the slaying was related to an earlier fight at the Fashion Fair mall.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Police: Southwest Fresno shooting of 5 may be tied to gangs."