Gunman kills two, wounds one in Fresno
Man in his 20s walked up to a group of people, fired, then ran, witnesses say.
By Pablo Lopez and Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee
(Updated Monday, October 3, 2005, 5:34 AM)
Fresno police searched Sunday for a gunman who killed two people and wounded a third person near the southwest Hinton Community Center, where hundreds of people had gathered for a motorcycle-club dance.
The Fresno County Coroner's Office said Bernard Blunt, 19, and Nicolas Edmund, 21, both of Fresno, were fatally shot late Saturday.
Police declined to identify the wounded victim — a man about 30 years old — saying his life could be in jeopardy if his identity were released.
Police Lt. Randy Dobbins said a local motorcycle club rented the Hinton Center from the city's Parks and Recreation Department to hold a rally and dance for bikers from across the state. In addition to the bikers, the rally drew hundreds of local residents who came in their cars and trucks, Dobbins said.
About 11:45 p.m., police were dispatched to the center after reports of gunfire. When they arrived, officers discovered Blunt dead in a parking lot north of the center. Edmund, who also was outside the center, was rushed to University Medical Center, where he died about 4a.m.
The wounded man made it to the 900 block of East Samson Avenue, more than a mile away. He was then taken to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening, Dobbins said.
The description of the gunman is vague; Dobbins said witnesses described him as black and in his 20s. They said the gunman walked up to a group of people outside the center, started firing and then ran.
Billy Hicks, supervisor at the Hinton Center, said Saturday night's shooting occurred in a parking lot for Computech Middle School, about 200 yards north of the center. The motorcycle club that rented the center, the Unknown Riders, was not using the Computech lot for parking. "It wasn't the motorcycle club at all," Hicks said.
At its peak about 9 p.m., Hicks said, 1,000 people were at the dance, but that number had dwindled by the time of the shooting.
"That was some youngsters hanging out over there," Hicks said of the shooting. "From my understanding, it was some kids who got into it. I guess because of the motorcycle-club dance, this was associated with the Hinton Center."
But Hicks did say the motorcycle-club dance was too large for the Hinton Center and he would suggest they find a larger venue for their next event.
"It's not their behavior, it's just too many people," Hicks said. "I would invite them back for a smaller event, but they really need a larger hall with more parking."
Johnny Nelum, a former supervisor for the city of Fresno's Parks and Recreation Department, said motorcycle clubs frequently rented the Hinton Center and problems at the center were rarely associated with the bikers. "The motorcycle guys are never a problem," he said. "It's too bad they get the stigma attached to them."
Ken Shockley, the city's spokesman, said he plans to speak with parks and recreation officials today to determine whether the organizers of the motorcycle rally had adequate security at the Hinton Center.
Statistically speaking, Fresno's parks are safe places, Shockley said, because police patrol them frequently.
Hicks said there was enough security inside the Hinton Center' grounds, but beyond the center's gates there probably wasn't enough.
Fresno now has 38 homicides this year. At this time last year, the city had 40 homicides.
Dobbins said the shooting was the first this year to claim multiple victims. In 2004, there was 52 homicides, and two or more people were killed in six separate incidents.
Gunman kills 2, wounds 1 in fresno
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anonymousman
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