Family mourns death in Calwa shooting

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is searching for the suspect who killed Jesus Castor, 52, of Calwa and injured Castor's 77-year-old mother.

Miguel Castor was in tears after seeing where his brother was killed and his mother wounded in the overnight shooting. He explained why they were out on the street after one in the morning. "They went out to buy sodas," Castor said in Spanish.

Castor said he had no idea why anyone would shoot his brother Jesus or his 77-year-old mother Socorro Lopez. She is in critical condition with a bullet wound to her face and neck.

Sheriff's department spokesman Tony Botti says there appears to be no reason for the shooting. "They came upon a group of four or five men and for some reason one of them pulled out a gun and started to shoot at them," Botti said. "We don't know anything about our victims to show they would have ties to somebody who would want to hurt them."

The key witness in the case is the woman's 18-year-old granddaughter who managed to escape. Miguel said his niece came running home and said they got shot my mom and my brother.

"Obviously, a key piece for our detectives in this is that the 18-year-old was there when it happened," Botti said. "So, they are interviewing her trying to glean any details to see if she can recount what the guys looked like, find out a little bit more if she, in fact, knows them whatsoever.

The victims had just moved to the neighborhood a couple of months ago but had lived in Fresno for many years.

They were field workers, but her uncle Miguel says she told him she did not get a good look at the gunman.

The family and the sheriff's department is eager for any information from the public.