Police ask for help solving two shooting deaths in Fresno. Three homicides in city in 2020

Fresno police Monday sought help sought help solving two shooting deaths that took place in the city over the second weekend in January, bringing the number of homicides in the new year to three.

Last year at this time, there were none.

Lt. Larry Bowlan, of the department’s Street Crime Bureau, said that early information gathered by detectives found no apparent gang connections in the death of Brandon Thompson, 26, who died early Sunday, or Florentino Higuera, 43, who was slain Saturday afternoon.

Bowlan said Thompson was unarmed and walking to his home early Sunday when he was gunned down at East Turner and East Jackson avenues in southeast Fresno.

Police discovered the incident when the department’s ShotSpotter system recorded multiple rounds fired, according to Bowlan. Thompson died after he was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center.

Higuera was shot inside a home in the 3800 block of East McKenzie Avenue, also in southeast Fresno, about 1:15 Saturday afternoon. The shots were fired from outside the house.

Detectives believe that the shooter came to the home looking for another person as a result of some sort of dispute and shot Higuera instead. It isn’t known if the suspect ran or fled in a car.

Detectives are asking anyone in either neighborhood who has video cameras to call Crime Stoppers to share evidence. They also want to talk to anyone with other information by calling 559-498-7867.

This story was originally published January 13, 2020 at 11:21 AM.