‘Terrible ... shocking.’ Clovis reacts after bar shooting leaves 2 dead in Old Town
Gabriel Lopez was sitting on a bench in Old Town Clovis late Saturday afternoon when he found out two men had been shot dead at a bar just several feet away.
“Terrible and shocking,” said Lopez, 48, a longtime Clovis resident. “I didn’t think that would happen in this area. Never been anything like that around here as far as a shooting goes. It is usually quiet. That is pretty bad.”
It was hours after police first discussed their investigation into the shooting at The Palace bar on Clovis Avenue in which two were killed and another man injured early Saturday.
Those who died were identified early Saturday night as Merehildo Luna, 21, of Fresno, and Andres Sanchez 27, of Sanger, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers responded about 2:05 a.m. to 911 calls and found two people shot inside the bar and another outside.
The other man was reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital and expected to survive, according to police, who say they believe the gunfire followed an earlier dispute in which several men were asked to leave the bar.
Workers at Old Town Saloon, which is next door to The Palace, heard the commotion but initially though the loud bangs were “firecrackers.”
“My co-workers were closing up shop when they heard shots and they thought they heard firecrackers and saw people running,” said bartender Rebekah Boyd, who wasn’t at the saloon at the time of the shooting. “They were a little worried so I think they stayed inside until Clovis PD asked to see our cameras. They realized something was wrong.”
A shooting in the Old Town section, known for its old-time Main Street feel, just “doesn’t happen,” she and others said.
No customers were inside Old Town Saloon because they had announced last call at 1:15 a.m. As for her co-workers, some remain shaken up. She said one of her security guards called in to say he would not be working Saturday night “because he has family to think about.”
Chris Shackelford’s business, Trelio Food & Wine, is also next door to The Palace. His guests were gone by 10 p.m., and his staff left at midnight.
“Shocked,” he said. “This type of thing hasn’t been happening for a while. It’s been drastically cleaned up until this incident happened. A little bit concerning.”
Juan Gonzalez of Clovis was at a baseball game when his parents asked him about the shooting. He was stunned to learn the news.
“It is something you don’t see very often here in Clovis,” he said. “It is something you don’t want happening here in Clovis, for sure. You don’t want it to happen anywhere. It’s just frightening.”
What police know about motive, suspects
Lt. Jim Munro told The Bee that police investigators believe a group, earlier in the evening, had a disagreement with the three men who were shot. The group was kicked out, but at least some of them returned and “immediately” started shooting.
They got into a vehicle and drove off. No workers or other patrons at the bar were struck, even though about a dozen others were inside. It was unclear if more than one person opened fire.
Police had not released any suspect description Saturday evening but Munro said they are “working very good leads and the investigation is progressing well.”
Munro said it is “a very good chance” that it is gang-related. He also said he couldn’t recall the last double homicide investigation in the city, much less this type of incident in Old Town.
He added the bar was supposed to be closed at 2 a.m., but at least 10 and possibly as many as 15 people were still inside.
“A lot of people were scared and upset,” he said. “Any time when you have three shooting victims, it’s going to be chaotic.”
Streets in the area were blocked off early Saturday as the investigation continued but were reopened about 11 a.m.
Police are asking anyone with information to call Clovis Police Department dispatch at 559-324-2800 or reach out through CrimeStoppers at 559-498-STOP.
This story was originally published May 22, 2021 at 6:46 PM.
