Fresno Mass Shooting Survivors Testify: Four Killed in 2019 Backyard Attack
Two survivors of the 2019 Fresno mass shooting testified in court Tuesday, recounting the chaos that left four dead and six wounded at a backyard gathering.
Fresno shooting survivors take the stand as preliminary hearing continues
Two survivors of a mass shooting that struck a backyard gathering in central Fresno in November 2019 testified in court on Tuesday, describing the moment a social evening turned into a scene of deadly violence, abc30.com reports.
Prosecutors are seeking to send three defendants — Ger Lee, Billy Xiong and Anthony Montes — to trial for their alleged roles in the attack on Lamona Avenue on 17 November 2019. The shooting killed four men, aged between 23 and 40, and wounded six others.
The three men face charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the incident.
During Tuesday's testimony, one survivor described how an evening of watching football and cooking outside ended abruptly when gunfire broke out.
"We didn't know what it was," he told the court, referring to the initial sounds of shooting. "But then we saw people falling, and that's when we realized that people got hurt. But there was nowhere to go."
The witness said he ran toward the house in search of his wife and children while bullets continued to fly. "As I'm going into the house, I can see some of the fallen brothers by the door," he testified. He only discovered after reaching safety inside that he had been shot in the shoulder.
A second survivor described a similarly narrow escape, crediting his position at the time of the shooting with sparing his life after a bullet struck his leg. "I think the position that I was standing in may be why I'm still alive today," he said. "I can't help but to wonder if that's why I'm here."
Prosecutors allege the attack was an act of retaliation for the killing of Randy Xiong earlier that same day. Investigators believe the gunmen were targeting rival gang members, though authorities have stated that none of the four men killed in the backyard shooting were gang-affiliated.
The court also heard from crime scene technician Matthew Shafer, who had investigated the homicide of Randy Xiong that preceded the mass shooting.
The preliminary hearing is expected to continue on Wednesday, as prosecutors work to establish before a judge that sufficient evidence exists to send Lee, Xiong and Montes to trial.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)