TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Authorities have identified a man who was killed in a shooting at a Halloween party in Tulare County over the weekend.
Chaos and multiple gunshots woke up local neighbors on Road 166 near Farmersville around 1 am on Sunday.
One neighbor, who does not want to be identified, says she heard six shots being fired.
The gunfire woke her and her months-old baby up.
She quickly called 911, looked outside and saw people running and a wounded man lying on the ground.
“It’s sad because I have never heard of something like this happening in the area before,” the neighbor said.
On Monday, crime scene tape was still visible.
It’s where Police say the shooting victim, 25-year-old Angel Cruz Puga of Farmersville, died.
Tulare County Sheriff’s detectives say there was a fight involving the victim shortly before everything unfolded.
“We discovered that there was a large Halloween party that was taking place. The victim arrived at the party and began to feel uncomfortable, and decided to leave, and as he was leaving, that is when the incident began, and that’s when the homicide occurred,” said Tulare County Sheriff’s Lt. Bryan Clower.
The sheriff’s office says the homeowners were throwing a small party for family and friends.
Only about 40 people were supposed to attend, but over 200 showed up.
Detectives say it’s not the first time a night of Halloween fun has spiraled out of control.
“We had a similar incident to this at a Halloween party several years ago in the Strathmore area, and it’s really imperative that if you’re putting a party up there on social media and it starts to get out of hand, call law enforcement before it escalates,” said Lt. Clower.
Deputies are working on reviewing evidence.
They say the investigation has been challenging since people were dressed up in costumes.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.
