‘It was chaos.’ Fresno police officers who responded to mass shooting testify in court
When Fresno police officer Mohit Kumar responded to a report of a shooting with multiple victims at a southeast Fresno home in late 2019, he arrived at a chaotic scene, where several people were bleeding from fatal gunshot wounds.
Kumar was among several police officers to testify Wednesday in the preliminary hearing for four alleged members of the Mongolian Boys Society gang who are charged with the shooting deaths of four people on Nov. 18, 2019.
Killed that night were Kou Xiong, 38; Xy Lee, 23; Kalaxang Thao, 40; and Phia Vang, 31. Police believe the mass shooting was retaliation by the gang after one of its members died. Police have said none of the victims were gang members.
As Kumar walked up to the home in the 5300 block of East Lamona he saw one of the shooting victims being given medical aid in the driveway. He went into the house and made his way to the backyard, where he came upon a grisly scene.
“There were at least four victims laying on their backs in the backyard,” Kumar testified. “And there was several pools of blood.”
Kumar found one bleeding victim on the ground with no pulse and not breathing. He began chest compressions until emergency medical help arrived.
“It was chaos,” he said.
What began as a fun night of watching football and drinking a few beers in the backyard, became a mass murder scene after police said members of the Mongolian Boys Society quietly slipped into the back yard through a side gate and opened fire.
The alleged killers thought that the people gathered that night were somehow connected to killing of their friend. Police said they were not.
Charged with four counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder are: Ger Lee, 29, Anthony Montes, 29; Porge Kue, 28; and Billy Xiong, 27. They face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, if found guilty on all counts.
Court documents show the alleged gang members believed they were avenging the death of 30-year-old Randy Xiong, who was murdered the day before in his single story apartment in the 3900 block of E. Dwight Way.
Police said three suspects forced their way into his apartment and began shooting. His bullet riddled body was found inside a bedroom.
Officer Austin Sandoval was one of the first on the scene and saw Xiong laying on the bed bleeding and shell casings scattered on the floor.
“I saw about six gun shot wounds,” he testified. “And it was obvious that there was multiple expended cartridge cases on the ground.”
The preliminary hearing continues on Nov. 16 in Dept. 62.
