The shooting happened around 12:40 p.m. Monday at a home on Reverend Chester Riggins and Holly Avenues – just two blocks from Kirkland Elementary School.
Officers said three men ranging in age from 30-60, were rushed to Community Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. At last check, they said they are expected to survive.
Police said an unknown number of suspects are still on the loose and that had officials at a nearby elementary school nervous as school let out.
Kirk Elementary School Principal Carla Manning said student safety was her top priority following the shooting at home less than two blocks from campus.
"Whatever keeps our kids safe we're willing to do it? We're glad to see so many police officers out here helping. It makes the community feel a lot better with the police presence," she said.
Manning said the school was put on lockdown for about 15-20 minutes while a law enforcement helicopter searched overhead for the getaway car.
Police said the shooting started when an unknown number of suspects pulled up to a home on Reverend Chester Riggins and Holly avenues in a lime-green sedan. That's when they said a suspect got out of the car, walked up to the door and started firing.
Lt. Anthony Martinez said three men were struck on various parts of their body and were rushed to the hospital.
"The suspect is a black male; the victims are also black males. Right now the motive is unknown," he said.
Witnesses said they heard numerous gunshots coming from the home.
"It caught my attention when I heard the shooting. The boom, boom, boom, you know?" said the man who did not want to disclose his identity.
A worker told Action News, he was inside the victims' home installing DirecTV when he heard the gunshots and discovered his clients had been shot.
The shooting happened around the corner from Kirkland Elementary School. While crime scene investigators roped off the area to collect evidence, a law enforcement helicopter circled overhead in search of the conspicuously colored car.
Manning said school administrators also initiated a plan to keep kids safe as they walked home from school.
"I have all of our teachers and administrators helping our children just to get home safely and making sure they're walking by (the neighborhood) and going straight to their homes so there's no problem… and that our parents' know we're taking care of their kids," she said.
Police now believe the shooting was gang-related. If you have any information about the car or suspects, call Fresno Police.
