Two separate shootings go down in Fresno within 30 minutes and less than a mile apart

Two shootings occurred less than a mile apart and within about 30 minutes of each other Wednesday evening in central Fresno, including one incident that involved a child in a struck vehicle.

Around 6 p.m., Fresno Police received a ShotSpotter gunfire electronic surveillance alert of 17 rounds fired near Pleasant and Andrews avenues in an area just east of Highway 99 and north of Shields Avenue.

There, police found a man who suffered a bullet grazing but not seriously injured.

About 30 minutes later, police received another ShotSpotter alert of about 6 to 7 rounds fired near the intersection of Dakota and Hughes avenues, just a few blocks from the initial shooting.

Police said no one appeared to be injured from the second shooting.

But it was discovered that a 6-year-old child was inside a vehicle that had been parked in front of a store and hit by gunfire, according to Lt. Brian Valles.

The parent of the child was inside the store at the time of the shooting then immediately rushed to the vehicle after hearing the shots fired, police said.

Valles added that the child was frightened by the incident but was not injured, and eventually taken home.

Officers said two men were walking in the parking lot when at least one of them fired shots and that the vehicle with the child in it was unintentionally struck.

Investigators believe the two shootings are unrelated, police said.

It was, however, unclear what led up to either shooting.

This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 8:27 PM.