5-year-old seriously injured after being shot in east central Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Police Department is investigating a shooting in east central Fresno that injured a 5-year-old boy.

It happened around 7:40 pm Monday near Winery and Yale.

Police say they responded to reports of a shooting at that location, but when they arrived, they found more than 24 shell casings with no victim.

While they were investigating the scene, they received a phone call that a 5-year-old boy had arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Upon further investigation, detectives discovered that the mother was parked outside of a nearby apartment complex to pick up her 2-year-old daughter, who was visiting her father, 24-year-old Tim Cook.

William, the 5-year-old child was sitting in the back seat of the car.

Tim Cook walked out to the car with another unidentified man and started placing the 2-year-old into car.

At that point, a group of men approached and one started shooting Cook and the other man.

Twenty-five shell casings were found in the street after the shooting.

One of the bullets hit little William in the right side of his chest, impacting his lung and liver before exiting his body.

William remains in what police describe as "stable but guarded" condition in the intensive care unit of Community Regional Medical Center in Downtown Fresno.

Investigators also found two other nearby vehicles that struck by gunfire, along with an apartment. No other people were hurt in the shooting.

Fresno Police are now looking for the vehicle William had been riding in, which is described as a blue 2004 Honda Civic with license plate number 5UXV605.

Officers do not have a description of the suspects, but they do believe they were gang members.

Investigators also do not know the motive for the shooting, but they do not believe the child or his mother were the intended targets.

Anybody with information on the case is asked to contact Detective John Mendez at 559-621-2428 or Valley Crime Stoppers, using the information below.

Dyer said this shooting is part of a disturbing trend of gang members firing guns while running, allowing the bullets to fly indiscriminately. He said it shows that these gang members do not have a conscience or a heart and that they do not care where their bullets land or who gets hurt.

In response to this shooting, Dyer says that gang operations will be ramped up in the city of Fresno.

Fresno Police officers normally assigned to traffic duties, will now be conducting gang enforcement. They will join officers that work with the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) and special operations units that had already been assigned to gang enforcement.

Chief Dyer says they will be targeting certain gangs and areas that they know to be problematic.

If you have information about this case, you are urged to contact Valley Crime Stoppers. You could be eligible to receive a cash reward if you provide information anonymously that leads to an arrest. To leave a tip, call 559-498-7867, or fill out the form below.