UPDATE: “Our Coroner’s Office has identified the four men shot and killed at a home on Lamona Ave. on Sunday afternoon.
Xy Lee, 23, of Fresno (singer)
Phia Vang, 31, of Fresno
Kou Xiong, 38, of Fresno (lived at house of shooting)
Kalaxang Thao, 40, of Fresno”
Tony Botti, Fresno County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office
(KMJ) – Four men are dead, six others wounded following what Fresno Police call a “mass casualty” shooting in the Southeastern part of the city.
Investigators say around 6 p.m. Sunday, about 40 people were gathered in the backyard of a home on East Lamona near Caesar to watch a football game when shots rang out. Three people were killed at the scene and a fourth died at the hospital. Fresno Police have yet to identify the victims but say they are all Asian males between the ages of 25 and 30.
Investigators believe this house was specifically targeted but, as this point, do not believe this shooting is gang related. And Fresno Police say officers are not sure how many shooters may have been involved.
Fresno Police continue to interview witnesses and are searching the area for any surveillance video that may have captured this shooting. If you have any information on this deadly incident, you are asked to call Central Valley CrimeStoppers at 498-STOP.
Fresno City Council plans to hold a special meeting Tuesday at 3:30 to add on to the current $5000 Crime Stoppers reward.
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand issued the following statement: “My prayers go out to the victims and their families, along with the promise that those responsible for this horrific crime will face the full force of justice. The City of Fresno will not tolerate this type of violence in any of our neighborhoods. We will add whatever resources that are necessary to find those responsible. “This senseless tragedy does not define us – rather, our response and unity as a community will and I have complete confidence in our collective resolve.”
Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), who represents Fresno, tweeted that his “thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” while adding that “as a community and a country, thoughts and prayers are not enough!” “We have passed meaningful bipartisan gun safety legislation this year in Congress that Sen Mitch McConnell [R-Ky.] refuses to bring up in the Senate,” Costa tweeted. “This plague of gun violence in our country, as we continue to witness, knows no boundaries. We must come together to bring rational and practical solutions to support our local communities throughout our nation.”
Former Fresno PD Chief and current Mayoral candidate Jerry Dyer, in a statement said: “As a citizen of this community and former Police Chief, I am deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence in our city. I know first hand the impact these types of incidents have on the families, the community, and those who responded to the scene. I encourage everyone to be in prayer for them. I have reached out to Police Chief Andy Hall and Deputy Chief Michael Reid this morning to offer my support. I am very confident the men and women of the Fresno Police Department will solve this horrendous crime very quickly and bring those responsible to justice. May God bring comfort to the families impacted by this tragedy.”
Candidate for Mayor Andrew Janz tweeted: “We are closely monitoring an alleged mass shooting in Fresno this evening. We are praying for peace and calm as we continue to investigate. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. -AJ”
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Aaaron Abeytia:
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Dana West:
