Fresno Police called to Fashion Fair after gun shown inside mall. Then other firearms were found

Fresno Police descended on Fashion Fair mall for the fifth time this year, arresting three people.

According to Capt. Tom Rowe, officers responded to a report of a man flashing a gun at another person inside the mall, though the gun never was fully pulled out.

The man, who was with two others, was part of a group that initially was stopped for smoking in smoking-prohibited area.

Mall security asked the group to leave, and the three complied, police said.

But on the way out, the group exchanged words with people sitting down. Then one of the members of the group that was leaving the mall lifted his shirt up.

“He clearly had a firearm visible in his waistband,” Rowe said.

The group proceeded to leave the mall. Then as they were driving off, officers stopped the vehicle and soon after found a total of three pistols inside, police said.

The three individuals were all arrested.

Police said the group said they were from Oakland. “That’s more concerning,” Rowe said, “that people would come from another community while armed with a firearm to come to our community and display inappropriate behavior.”

No other details about the suspects was available.

Because of the large police presence with cop cars in front of the north side of Fashion Fair by Shaw Avenue, some would-be shoppers were concerned that another shooting occurred at the mall.

However, police said no shots were ever fired, and customers and employees never evacuated the mall.

Police praised Fashion Fair security for its surveillance system, as well as having a proactive security presence with law enforcement contract officers on site.

Nonetheless, Friday was the latest incident of police responding to a situation at Fashion Fair this year.

Earlier this month, shots were fired while two groups of men fought outside in the area near the Shoe Palace, Lush, Sephora and Morphe stores.

A shooting also occurred inside the mall in January after a man was confronted by a group of men.

In addition, there have been two other incidents of smash-and-grab thefts at the popular Fresno mall this year.

This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 5:43 PM.