Two men walking in southeast Fresno shot in drive-by incident, police say
Two men were struck by gunfire during an apparent drive-by in southeast Fresno, police said Saturday, continuing an early-year trend of increased shooting incidents.
The shooting happened just before 4:15 p.m., according to Lt. Ron Hughes, when a Shotspotter alert indicated that several rounds were fired at Winery and Lane avenues. Shotspotter is a gunshot-detection system in use in the city.
Police found the men, both in their 20s, with injuries. One was shot in the shoulder and another in the foot while walking on Winery, between Butler and Lane avenues.
The men were taken to Community Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, Hughes said.
Both men said they didn’t see the person or people who shot at them, nor did they know what kind of vehicle was involved.
The incident came a day after Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall, in a Facebook post, said incidents involving gunfire were up for the year, with 202 through June 5. Of those, 98 people were struck by shots.
Police say 44% of the 202 shootings turned out to be gang related.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the Facebook post stated, shooting incidents had risen 30%. The post noted the increase coincided with the early release of inmates and the zero dollar bail ordered by the state to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The state Judicial Council this week voted to end the zero-bail policy effective June 20.
“While I am looking forward to working with our community to reduce violent crimes, it is important to remember that each number represents a human being and a member of our community,” Hall said in the post.
This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 7:07 PM.
