Man trying to sell jewelry winds up shot at Fresno apartment complex, police say
A man was shot Monday night in the parking lot of a Fresno apartment complex, police said, apparently while trying to sell jewelry via a person-to-person sales app.
The shooting took place about 8:40 p.m. Officers received a ShotSpotter gunshot-alert activation in the area of Dakota and Hughes avenues, according to Fresno police Lt. Sean Biggs. Four shots were detected.
A 21-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body was found lying in the driveway of the complex.
The man appeared to be unconscious but breathing, Biggs said, and was taken to Community Regional Medical Center. His condition was not released.
Was robbery the motive?
Officers learned through their investigation that two men, one of them the person who was shot, were in the complex to sell jewelry to someone after connecting through the app OfferUp.
The two men were waiting in the parking lot when they were approached by two other men. The four had begun to talk when the second group of men pulled out guns and opened fire.
The first pair fled north through the complex. The one man finally collapsed where police found him; the second man was not hurt.
One of the assailants was described as being 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a slender build and wearing a dark color hooded sweatshirt.
Officers are were still trying to determine if armed robbery was a motive, Biggs said.
OfferUp site urges caution, safety
The OfferUp online sales site bills itself as “the simplest, most trusted way to buy and sell locally.” People can post their own items to sell, or browse through what others are offering — including furniture, electronics and cars — with the buyer and seller then connecting “securely through the app to negotiate price and set up a time to meet.”
User profiles allow the parties “to see ratings, badges, and transaction history.” It also encourages the use of “the meetup scheduler in chat to find well-lit, surveilled exchange locations near you.”
“Please agree to meet in well-lit, well-crowded public locations,” the site cautions, “and let a friend or family member know where you’re going.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 11:23 PM.