On November 17, 2019, a mass shooting occurred at a Fresno, California football watch party with 35 to 40 people present, including several children. Four people were killed and six were injured. It was the third mass shooting in California in less than a week, the others being the Saugus High School shooting that killed three and injured another three in Santa Clarita, and a family murder–suicide in San Diego that killed five and injured one.
Incident
The shooting happened in a backyard of a home when a group of friends and families were holding a football watch party, to watch the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears. The party was composed of about 35 to 40 friends and family members of the home owner in attendance. At some point during the party the women and children attending the party had moved inside to watch TV, while 16 men stayed outside to continue watching the football game. At least two suspects snuck through an unlocked gate of the home around 6:00 pm PST and opened fire indiscriminately before they fled on foot.
Victims
The deceased victims were all men between the ages of 23 and 40 years old. Three men were pronounced dead at the scene while another was transported to Community Regional Medical Center where he died of his injuries. Two of the deceased were well-known Southeast Asian singers. Five others were treated with non-life threatening wounds at the same hospital while another was treated at a different hospital. The surviving victims are men between the ages of 28 and 36. All of the victims are members of the Hmong community in Fresno.
Investigation
The Fresno Police Department is investigating the incident, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Clovis Police Department. Fresno Police Deputy Chief Michael Reed said the victims were "likely targeted". The department mobilized an "Asian Gang Task Force" to look into concerns about the attack being connected to a recent spike in violent crime by Asian gangs. On December 31, six suspects were arrested in connection with the shooting, all of whom are believed to members of the Mongolian Boys Society gang. One of the victims was a former member of rival gang the Asian Crips. The shooting was allegedly retaliation for the murder of a Mongolian Boys Society member by a member of the Asian Crips. The suspects are currently detained at the Fresno County Jail and will each face four counts of homicide, 12 counts of attempted homicide, and conspiracy to commit murder with gang and firearms enhancements. In February, a seventh suspect was arrested and charged with the same offenses.
Response
The Fresno area is home to the largest Hmong population in California and the second-largest in the United States. Their community expressed sadness and bewilderment. Politicians such as House SpeakerNancy Pelosi and Fresno City Councilman Luis Chavez responded to the incident with statements.
