Easter Sunday drive nearly deadly as man, 6-year-old son face heavy gunfire in Fresno

A man and his 6-year-old son dodged a hail of gunfire from high-caliber rifles Easter Sunday afternoon while driving to their southwest Fresno home.

Police responded to two ShotSpotter notifications about 1:15 p.m., the first 19 rounds at Bardell and East Byrd avenues and another nine at Bardell and East Grove avenues, which borders Rutherford B. Gaston Middle School.

The man and his son were not hit, but when turning left from Bardell struck a parked vehicle, sending it rolling slowly down East Grove and into another parked vehicle.

The assailants were following the man and his son and driving a 2010 to 2013 tan Chevrolet Tahoe with 24- to 28-inch wheels. They remain at large and are considered armed and dangerous.

“They were firing from the vehicle at the victims,” Fresno Police Sgt. Ray Villalvazo said. “The father was able to get out of his vehicle with his 6-year-old son and avoid being shot. The suspects were two unknown males, with possibly three in the vehicle, went in reverse on Bardell and fled the area.

“They’re unaccounted for and at-large at this time. We’re continuing our investigation and trying to determine who are the subjects involved in that vehicle.”

The victim told police that he was out for a drive when he noticed the SUV following him.

He said he had seen the vehicle in the past, but did not know who was inside and as he got close to his residence the victims opened fire. Police secured the scene, and a long string of shell casings was found on Bardell Avenue between East Byrd and East Grove.

“At this time, it’s early in the investigation, we have no idea what started this incident,” Villalvazo said. “All we know right now, from what the victim is telling us, he saw this vehicle that was following him, chasing him, and that’s when the gunfire erupted.”

“We’re lucky no one was struck by his gunfire,” he added.

What to do if facing a threat

Villalvazo said if anyone feels that they are being followed, it is best to remain on a public road and call 911.

“At any time you feel that someone is following you, that something suspicious is going on, it’s always try to avoid going home, stay on a public road and from your cell phones, I know we’re supposed to be hands-free technology, but in an instance like that, not a problem calling 911, going hands-free and calling for help,” he said.

“Even if the person cannot tell us where they are at, our dispatchers can triangulate and find out where the vehicle is from a rapid SOS technology that we have, to find out where that person it at.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2022 at 4:23 PM.