Three hit by gunfire in four shooting incidents on New Year’s Day

Three people were hit by gunfire on New Year’s Day in four shooting incidents in Fresno, and police say they believe the same person was the gunman in all four.

At 10:30 a.m. Monday, a suspect driving a gray four-door car shot a male in the leg near Whitesbridge and Thorne avenues. Lt. Carl McKnight said the male victim was carrying a Christmas tree through an alleyway when someone in the car started shooting. The victim’s age was not released.

An hour later, someone in the same vehicle shot at a pedestrian at Ventura and B streets, just west of Highway 99. Then about 10 minutes later, someone in the same car shot at a pedestrian near Los Angeles and E streets, just a few blocks away from the previous shooting scene. Neither pedestrian was injured.

The last shooting was reported near McKinley and Normal avenues at 3:20 p.m. where two people had been shot, McKnight said. One was struck in the torso and the other in the lower leg. The two victims were described as ages 17 and 23.

McKnight said the shots were fired from the same gray car.

From the last shooting scene, the suspect drove north on Normal but crashed the car and took off on foot. The suspect was last seen going through the Mayfair Shopping Center at First Street and McKinley.

The three victims were in stable condition, and police describe the suspect as possibly a light-skinned black or Hispanic male. The car was not reported stolen, McKnight said.

The last time a similar shooting spree occurred in Fresno was in 1992 when a couple of youths drove around shooting at people and killing one man who was mowing his lawn, McKnight said.

He said he did not know if Monday’s shootings were connected to a recent spate of random shootings in Fresno and Madera counties in which a gunman struck 10 cars and injured a woman. Investigators are seeking a dark-colored, four-wheel-drive pickup with oversize tires and extended or crew cab. The last of those shootings was on Dec. 17.

Anyone with information on Monday’s shootings in Fresno can contact Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867 (STOP).

This story was originally published January 1, 2018 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Three hit by gunfire in four shooting incidents on New Year’s Day."