MADERA, Calif. (KMJ)
STATEMENT FROM MADERA PD CHIEF GIACHINO CHIARAMONTE
Last night at 9:35 PM our officers responded to a call of shots being fired inside of Walgreens (2020 W. Cleveland Avenue).
Our officers located the suspect, who was reloading his handgun in the parking lot. He was taken into custody without incident. During a search of the pharmacy a fatal gunshot victim was located.
Other bystanders, who were sheltering in place, were also located inside the store. The suspect in this case, Narciso Gallardo Fernandez, traveled to Madera from Pixley.
He entered Walgreens with a handgun in his pocket. Narciso shot and killed Erick Velasquez, a store employee. Narciso then fired his gun at other store employees as they fled the store.
While there are a lot of questions we still need answered, we believe Narciso and the victim do not know each other. We do not know of any ties between Narciso and the City of Madera.
Fernandez has been booked into the Madera County Jail on a charge of homicide.
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
