Investigators are also looking for 26-year-old Keshawn Jones. Police say Jones shot a rival gang member near the Downtown Ice Rink. They believe he's hiding out somewhere in Fresno.
The shooting happened on the mall while the ice rink was open, during Art Hop, when a lot of people are walking around outside. Despite the fear this may bring to the public Chief Jerry Dyer says there hasn't been a violent incident there in years.
The glass door on the Donut Downtown shop was being replaced after it was blown out during a shooting Thursday night. Investigators say Keshawn Jones fired two rounds. One struck the victim. The other bullet struck the donut shop. Police say Jones fired again at the victim as he ran for cover inside the business.
"I can't even remember the last time we had a shooting in or around the Fulton Mall, it's been many many years," Chief Dyer said. "Unfortunately, this one incident will cause some people not to want to come downtown with their family."
Because of the safety concern Dyer now has a dedicated uniformed officer on patrol around the Downtown Ice Rink. "The Fulton Mall is not a place where gang members hang out. This was an isolated incident," he said.
Dozens of people hit the ice Friday morning, a much larger than usual crowd. The Downtown Fresno Partnership organizes the ice rink in an effort to draw people to the area as part of a big revitalization push. But the group is battling a perception of unsafe streets around and on the Fulton Mall. A gang shooting isn't helping that cause.
"This type of an incident is very rare," said Downtown Fresno Partnership President and CEO Kate Borders. "We're very upset about it. We feel bad for the business, and we want to do whatever we can. But we have great security at the rink and downtown are a safe place to be."
Audrie Torres says she's not concerned with Downtown safety. She still went along with her daughter on a field trip to the ice rink. "I don't think it's dangerous," she said. "I think it's like that everywhere you go."
The extra officers will be out on the Fulton Mall from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day until the rink closes in late January.
