Multiple shots fired at Fresno apartment, striking two juveniles. Were they intended targets?

One child and one teen were shot late Thursday night after approximately 26 gunshots were fired at an apartment complex in southeast Fresno, according to Fresno Police.

It happened around 9:50 p.m. at the Ranchwood Condominiums at Chestnut and Lane avenues, less than a mile from Fresno Pacific University.

Lt. Israel Reyes said a 12-year-old boy was struck in his foot and a 17-year-old was shot in the back, as well as his shoulder area.

“At this point, it looks like both injuries to the two juveniles aren’t going to be life-threatening,” Reyes said. “But they are at the hospital right now and in stable condition.”

It is unclear if the juveniles were the intended targets, but Reyes said the upstairs apartment that was shot up is believed to be the intended unit that the suspects wanted to hit.

Police are looking into whether the shooting is gang related and who lives in the struck apartment and nearby units.

Police said that among the victims, the 17-year-old lives at the apartment while the 12-year-old was visiting. A man also was in the apartment at the time of the shooting and was uninjured, Reyes added.

The suspects, meanwhile, remain loose.

Witnesses told police that three males were seen with handguns and running from the apartment complex after the shooting.

Police said the gunmen fired from a grassy area just outside of the apartment complex and unleashed multiple rounds into the upstairs apartment unit.

“There were a lot of shots fired here,” Reyes said. “Got multiple calls for service. It almost sounded like it was an automatic weapon going off in there based on the shot spotter notification that we we received.

“We’re very fortunate that we didn’t have a homicide victim tonight.”

Reyes added that only the one apartment unit upstairs was struck by bullets.

“We’re very lucky,” Reyes said, “that another apartment wasn’t struck for the amount of rounds that were fired.”

Police said the apartment complex has surveillance cameras and will be looking into the footage.

Multiple shootings previously have occurred at the Ranchwood Condominiums in recent years.

In June, two men opened fire on five people inside one of the units.

Also, back in February 2020, a man was shot in the neck after trying to video record a fight at an apartment complex.

In addition, an 18-year-old was shot in his upper body at the apartment in November 2017.

This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 11:34 PM.