Man shot and killed after a fight with security guard in Fresno. Another man was wounded
A 35-year-old man was shot and killed Friday night after a fight with a security guard in northeast Fresno, police said.
The shooting happened just before 11:15 p.m. along Shaw Avenue near Fresno Street.
Fresno Police Lt. Israel Reyes said police received a phone call about a shooting near a Best Western Plus Inn involving a security guard.
It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the violence.
Reyes said the security guard told officers he shot a man multiple times after a struggle. Officers found the man near a vacant building.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Fresno County Coroner’s Office identified him as Joseph Gutierrez, 35, of Fresno. Police described him as “transient.”
A bystander also was injured in the shooting. The second man, a 33-year-old who had pulled into the parking lot to add antifreeze to his vehicle, was struck in the arm. He was taken to an area hospital and was expected to be OK, according to police.
Officers initially thought the 33-year-old man was the only victim.
Reyes said the security guard is claiming self-defense. Homicide detectives were on the scene to interview the security guard.
“Security guard pulled in to do his rounds, and he sees the transient guy,” Reyes said. “They get into a physical fight, and shots are fired, and one of the shots ends up striking the guy fixing his car.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2021 at 7:23 AM.
