Fresno PD conducts summer gang/gun suppression efforts

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Police are tracking a disturbing new way criminals are getting ahold of guns. They're ordering weapon parts online and assembling their own guns, according to Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

On June 5, Fresno Police say a gang fight lead to a retaliatory gang shooting that left an 18-month-old girl injured in the foot by ricocheting bullet.

"The simple fact is that bullets have no eyes," said Police Chief Jerry Dyer. "When gang members do drive-by shootings innocent people get hit."

Dyer put 90 guns on display Wednesday afternoon at police headquarters. The weapons, he says, along with the gang members seen in mug shots on the wall were all taken off the streets by tactical officers in the past 28 days.

Investigative work is now taking police outside of Fresno to find wanted gang members.

"He was surprised that Fresno was in Madera and asked what we were doing there," said Lt. Mark Salazar of a suspect arrested in Madera. "We don't mind traveling and looking for gang members."

Chief Dyer says gang-related shootings are down 10 percent, which is good. But the bad news is the way the illegal guns are getting into the city. Gang members are making them at home.

"They're able to do that either by ordering parts online, being able to go into the stores and ordering various parts of the weapon," Dyer said. "And believe it or not they're smart enough to put those weapons together."

Dyer acknowledges the dangerous conditions his officers are under. Locally, it's a huge effort showing a huge payoff, but officers know there's still a huge cache of weapons in the wrong hands.