Mistaken gang affiliation at Super Bowl party led to fatal shooting, Fresno police say

A Playboy Sureno gang member has been arrested in the Saturday shooting at a pre-Super Bowl barbecue that left one man dead.

Fresno police said Monday that Daniel Gonzalez, 34, mistook a group of men for rival gang members because of a San Francisco 49ers flag hanging outside the home near Tuolumne and B streets just west of Highway 99.

Following a dispute, Gonzalez used a makeshift zip gun to shoot 24-year-old Frank Rojas.

Rojas was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died.

Neither the victim nor his friends are associated with gangs, police said.

On Saturday, police originally described the confrontation as an argument over the Super Bowl.

Gonzalez was on probation and was staying at a nearby homeless encampment when he was arrested and booked into Fresno County Jail on murder and weapons charges.

Investigators are still collecting evidence and ask anyone with information to call homicide detectives Miguel Alvarez at 559-621-2441 or Victor Miranda at 559-621-2452. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP.

This is the fourth homicide in Fresno in 2020, police said.

This time last year Fresno had three murders.

This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 12:02 PM.