Detectives with the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (ViCAT) have arrested five high school students and two adults in relation to a shooting investigation that began on August 21st.
Four of the boys are students at McLane High School and one boy is a student at Hoover High School. All have been booked into juvenile hall and each are facing gun related charges. Some face accessory charges.
Around 3:40 pm on Wednesday, August 21st, dispatchers received a call of shots fired in the parking lot of an Auto Zone store at Clinton and Cedar in Fresno. Deputies arrived and found there to be no gunshot victims.
They learned there was a disturbance between a large group of students who attend nearby McLane High School. A preliminary investigation revealed a 15 year old boy used a handgun to pistol whip a teenager and a 16 year old student pulled out a handgun and fired shots as people were leaving the scene. Some of these bullets struck a vehicle and a nearby restaurant. Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt due to this careless behavior. However, two customers in the restaurant were nearly hit.
Witnesses further helped deputies by giving them descriptions of the people involved, including the gunmen. They were also aided by several videos recorded at the scene, which were later shared. About 30 minutes after the shooting, deputies arrested the 16 year old gunman in a nearby neighborhood. He was the one in the video dressed in all black who fired multiple rounds.
Due to the possibility of this being a gang-related shooting, MAGEC detectives assisted with the case. Ensuring safety at McLane High School and easing the nerves of students, staff and parents became the top priority of ViCAT, MAGEC and the Fresno Police Department, specifically its School Resource Officer (SRO).
The next day, detectives identified a 15 year old McLane student who took a gun from one of the suspects for the purpose of hiding it. Detectives served a search warrant and arrested that teen, but did not find the gun.
On August 23, detectives served a search warrant at an apartment. They located the 15 year old (now 16), who was seen wearing a white tank top holding a gun in the video. He was arrested for assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
Detectives were determined to find the firearms and anyone else involved with the suspects arrested, so they worked tirelessly to develop more leads.
On September 10, detectives served search warrants at two homes in Fresno. In one location, they recovered two shotguns and two handguns, which were not used in the parking lot shooting. They arrested 43 year old Jim Vue for being a felon in possession of the firearms and ammunition. Detectives also arrested 29 year old Richie Vue for possession of cocaine. At the other home, detectives recovered two handguns. Evidence showed they were a match to those used by the teenagers in the parking lot. Days later, detectives contacted and arrested a 15 year old McLane student who was responsible for hiding those two handguns.
Finally, on September 16, detectives arrested a 14 old Hoover High student who is a friend of the suspects arrested. He was identified in social media photos holding firearms, therefore illegally possessing them.
It’s been determined this was not a gang-related shooting, but rather a personal dispute. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Fresno Police Department hope these arrests and gun seizures bring a sense of relief to the high schools involved and to the entire community.
If anyone has information about someone illegally possessing firearms or coordinating a plan to carry out violence, please contact the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-3111 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867, www.valleycrimestoppers.org You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
