16-year-old shot after gang member mistook him for rival, police believe

A 16-year-old boy was shot in the lower back Monday after he was apparently mistaken for a rival by a passing gang member in southwest Fresno, police said.

Lt. Joe Gomez said the boy was walking with his cousin and other children down Lorena Avenue toward Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when a black, four-door Ford Taurus pulled up beside them. The driver yelled something at the group and fired at least six shots. The boy was hit at least once and is expected to survive. A van and a nearby apartment unit were also hit, but no other injuries were reported.

Gomez said the shooter was a gang member but the victim probably wasn’t. Police believe the suspect may have mistaken the boy for a rival.

The driver was described as Hispanic, between 25 and 30 years and bald with a tattoo of a bulldog on his face and a snake tattoo above his left ear. He was last seen driving east on Lorena, Gomez said. The Taurus may have a gray or white door, witnesses told police.

The shooting took place several feet from Bigby Park, but Gomez said no children were around other than the group fired upon.

The Fresno Police Department is working to crack down on gangs after a particularly violent start to 2017.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 5:01 PM with the headline "16-year-old shot after gang member mistook him for rival, police believe."