Rival gangs shoot up two Fresno houses

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno police found more than 50 shell casings at the scene of the shooting at Fresno Street and White Avenue on Monday night. The house was riddled with bullets. A total of 27 holes were found in the doors, windows, and walls. Another 15 rounds went into the walls of an adjacent business. A neighbor told Action News it sounded like a lot of guns all going off at the same time.

According to the owner of a nearby convenience store, surveillance video he gave to police showed a car pull up across the street, three men in hooded sweatshirts got out and started shooting. Police have not made the video public. Chief Jerry Dyer says it's another example of gang warfare in the city.

"In this case we have some African American gangs that are feuding," said Chief Dyer. "And that's been ongoing for several months."

An hour after the first shooting, a house in the 1500 block of Vassar Street was shot up. One person in the house was grazed by one of the 14 bullets that hit the house. Police say the second shooting was likely in retaliation for the first shooting. When police returned to the house on White Avenue they captured Jason Cole. Police say they found a handbag containing three pistols, and one of the guns had been reported stolen.

While Chief Dyer says rival gang members may be shooting at each other the number of shots fired in this case shows the potential danger to the public.

Chief Dyer said, "We get especially concerned when it involves gang members because of the number of rounds that have been fired, the type of rounds that are fired and the frequency of the rounds that are fired and ultimately it's a matter of time until innocent people are shot."

Chief Dyer noted than on January 18th 9-year-old Janessa Ramirez was killed when hit by a stray bullet fired in a gang shootout.