Nearly half a dozen people waited inside this Northeast Fresno Denny's for more than 9 hours Sunday morning while police shut down the parking lot to examine a Lexus sedan.
A man in his 20s was shot around 2-am and later died at Community Regional Medical center.
"Trying to get something to eat, having fun and then a lot of people running in, don't know what's going on. Just a lot of commotion outside," said Aaron Sapannah.
Sapannah and his friend Anthony Shepard said they were partying at a night club nearby when they decided to grab a late night meal at Denny's. When they arrived the restaurant was packed inside and out.
Investigators said that's when a fight broke out in the parking lot between several gang members. Sapannah and Shepard did not see the fight but said they heard a loud bang.
Sapannah: "It was a weird experience. Never been through it before."
Customers inside were not allowed to leave in their cars during the investigation but could have someone pick them up. Those who did not have a ride stayed and relied on caffeine to get them through.
"A lot of raspberry tea and a grand slam sandwich," said Sapannah.
Shepard said: "I'm ready to go home and go to sleep. Really. It sucked, to sit in Denny's all day."
Police do not have a motive for this shooting. This is Fresno's second homicide this year.
Last year at this time detectives were also investigating the second murder of 2009.
