Investigators are still trying to figure out who fired shots near Bullard High School on Wednesday night. It happened outside near Palm and Browning Avenues, near the gym where Edison and Bullard were playing a basketball game.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but it did cause quite a stir. It’s not the first time something similar has happened when the two teams have played each other.
Under the warm afternoon sun, Bullard High School's campus appears quiet. But just the night before, there was a hectic scene outside the gym. There was a police helicopter over head and officers on the ground after reports of shots fired. Police kept everyone inside the gym for about 20 minutes while the scene was secured.
“It was a little weird when we walked out, just because there were a lot of police around,” said Mary Taylor, a senior at Bullard.
Taylor says it was so loud in the gym, they didn't hear anything outside. But seeing all the officers and learning later what happened was eerie.
“It's a little scary, like obviously, like shots fired. But I don't think they had any intent to do anything to our school or to the basketball game or anything like that,” said Taylor.
Officers say a truck was found with a bullet hole in it, but it wasn't immediately clear if it was related to the incident.
Back in January of 2009 police also responded to a tense Bullard vs. Edison game after reports of shots fired.
Still, Fresno Unified says what happened Wednesday was an isolated incident.
“Last night, an unfortunate incident occurred in the Bullard community while a sporting event was occurring on our campus. Thankfully, no one was injured. According to preliminary police reports, shots were fired on the corner of Browning and Palm. This was an isolated incident in the community that resulted in a precautionary lockdown of the gymnasium during the boys’ varsity basketball game, at the conclusion of the game; to ensure the safety of our staff, students, parents, and teachers. The district is thankful to the Fresno Police Department for their due diligence. Today, law enforcement will continue their investigation and will increase patrols in the surrounding area for the community’s protection.
Fresno Unified places the highest priority on the safety of our students and staff. The district encourages the community to always remain vigilant.”
Meanwhile, students are left wondering what really happened outside the game.
“I'm definitely curious. But it just takes time I guess for the story to come out,” said Zachary Burt, a senior at Bullard.
Bullard and Edison boy’s basketball teams play each other again on February 15th at Edison.
