18-year-old faces murder charge in Reedley backyard shooting

Update: A man believed to be responsible for the shooting death of a Parlier man July 26 is being held in Fresno County jail.

Authorities arrested 18-year-old James Lopez of Parlier. He was booked in jail July 30 on a murder charge.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 559-637-4250.

Original story: One man was shot dead and another suffered a gunshot wound at a party in Reedley early Monday morning.

The homicide happened just after midnight when officers were called to the 900 block of East Springfield Avenue for reports of gunshots at a home, according to the Reedley Police Department.

Officers arrived and found a 21-year-old man sitting on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Officers then made their way to the back yard of the residence, where an 18-year-old man, identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as Josue Cardenas from Parlier, was lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.

Officers and EMS provided medical aid on Cardenas, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to officers, a large party was taking place in the backyard when the shooting began. Detectives have not found a motive for the shooting of either men, and are trying to piece together witnesses statements of what led up to the shooting.

No description of a suspect was available.

This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 4:23 PM.