Fresno police say this man is responsible for birthday party shooting that injured child
Fresno police are asking for the public’s help to find the suspect in a shooting that injured a 5-year-old girl and 46-year-old man at a birthday party in southwest Fresno on Thursday evening.
Police identified Maurice Brown, 25, of Fresno as the suspect and described him as a known gang member wanted for multiple firearms and child endangerment charges.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP (7867). Tips can be made anonymously, or Fresno Police Department Felony Assault Detective Rudy Montoya at 559-621- 2442.
The Fresno police investigation case number is 21019094.
The injured girl was grazed on her back by a ricochet bullet, and the man had a graze wound to his leg. The girl was transported to a hospital for treatment and later released, and the man refused medical attention, Fresno police spokesperson Lt. Rob Beckwith said.
Officers responded to the 300 block of East Byrd Avenue at 6:12 p.m. Thursday, where they found the injured girl. Police said they learned the shooting occurred at a child’s birthday party near Kern Street and Collins Avenue. They found the injured man at that location, in the 700 block of Kern Street.
Beckwith said officers and detectives determined that the shooting suspect who was attending the party “was manipulating a firearm inside his clothing when the handgun discharged once, and the round struck the two victims.”
The suspect then fled with the gun, police said.
Beckwith said it was previously reported that the injured girl was 4 years old, but that the girl is 5.
