A 12-year-old boy who was shot in his home is now fighting for his life. But neighbors believe it could be a horrible mistake.
“The bad part is it could be a mistaken identity, and a 12-year-old kid is suffering for it,” said neighbor Tim Bumpus.
Police say the home used to be a known gang house. Detectives do not believe the people now living at the home are gang members, but they say there have been other calls for service at the home, including one for violent crime.
Fresno Police Lt. Mark Salazar said, “When that call came out last night, every officer in Southeast Fresno knew about that house.”
Police say a man walked up to the house and shot into it a number of times, hitting the boy at least once. The 12-year-old and at least nine other people were inside the home at the time. No one else was hurt.
The shooter then jumped into an awaiting car and took off. Bumpus lives across the street. He said he heard everything, “I don't see how something like this could happen. When I heard the car drive up, it seemed like nothing to them. They drove up, got to the front of the house, did their shooting, they got back into their car and just drove off like it was another Sunday evening. No screeching tires, no hurry to get away. They just left.”
Detectives are still trying to find a motive.
“We put about 12 investigators on this, from our homicide unit to our Magic unit, we're just looking for leads right now,” explained Salazar.
Police say crime is nothing new in the area, but people who live there say this recent shooting goes too far.
“I've never really seen any gang people there. They're just kids. It's just one family and I don't see why anyone would want to do this to them,” said Bumpus.
The 12-year-old boy was taken to the hospital where he is on life support.
Police say a known gang member they've dealt with in the past no longer lives in the home. They believe he is still incarcerated. No arrests have been made.
If you have any information on this case, you're asked to call CrimeStoppers at 498-STOP.
TXT 24
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