Rival gangs, lots of ammo and a chance encounter. Fresno police disrupt a dangerous mix
A potentially deadly late-night confrontation between a pair of gangs was halted Friday when Fresno police arrived and broke up a fight, leading to the arrests of several men and the seizure of a pair of guns — one of which was equipped with a magazine holding 50 rounds.
“With that amount of rounds and that many people involved,” Fresno Police Lt. Paul Cervantes said, “it could’ve been really bad.”
The incident happened at a northwest Fresno liquor store, police said, when a party bus that included suspected members of one gang stopped at the same time a car carrying members of another gang was also there.
Police responded at 10:49 p.m. to the store at Shaw and Brawley avenues following a 911 call about the fight, according to Cervantes.
Officers arrived, separated the groups and then searched the car. Inside, police said, they found two firearms: One was a 40-caliber handgun with the 50-round drum-style magazine.
“We were very fortunate officers arrived in minutes,” Cervantes said. “It’s my estimation that had they not arrived at that time to interrupt the disturbance, we could’ve potentially had another shooting.”
Multiple people from the party bus were charged with public intoxication and at least two men in the car were to be booked on suspicion of being gang members with firearms.
