A 12-year old Fresno boy is in the hospital on life support after being shot. Police say the child was struck during what appeared to be a gang-related shooting. It happened Tuesday night around 9:00. The boy was inside his home located on Illinois Avenue in southeast Fresno. Investigators say this was not a random act.
Police need the public's help to track down the gunman. The police department is treating this case as a top priority. It has a dozen detectives working around the clock to solve it.
If you look closely at the house, you'll notice a handful of large bullet holes in the front window.
“When the guns starting going off it was time to hit the ground,” said Tim Bumptious.
Tim Bumpous has lived across the street the last two years.
“This isn't the first incident in this neighborhood and something's got to be done about it,” said Bumpous.
Fresno Police say about a dozen people were inside the home Tuesday night when someone walked up, fired shots at the house and then jumped into a vehicle and took off.
A 12-year old boy took a bullet and as a result is now in the hospital, clinging to life.
“From everything I understand he's a great kid and our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family,” said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
Chief Jerry Dyer says this house has been tied to gang activity in the past. In fact, a violent crime has happened here once before. Dyer says the boy, who attends a Fresno Unified School, was not the target in this case. The trouble is, police are not sure who was.
“Once we do that will give us a better handle in terms of who might be responsible for this shooting,” said Chief Dyer.
A camera posted at the intersection of Tulare and Cedar may give cops the break they need.
“We do have a description of a vehicle, so we'll be looking at not only video policing cameras but also other cameras that might be in the area,” said Chief Dyer.
If you know something about this case, call Fresno Police Detective Tony Rivera at (559) 621-2445. You can remain anonymous and may be eligible to receive a $1,000 reward.
