Police search for gunman responsible for killing a man in Central Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Police have not seen this many homicides since 2012. While they do not believe this murder was gang-related they say the majority of homicides this year were.

Another family in Fresno is heartsick this year over the loss of young life.

Relatives too grief-stricken to speak are huddled inside this complex where outside, 23-year-old Jesse Gomez was gunned down while visiting family Thanksgiving night.

Sgt. Sean Biggs of the Fresno Police Department said, "We don't know the exact relationship, but it looks at this time it could have been a chance encounter on the street."

Detectives have little details about the suspect but say the shooter approached Gomez near Olive and First around 11 o'clock.

Their interaction quickly turned fatal.

"They engaged in a conversation and at some point in this conversation, the suspect produced a handgun and fired at least four rounds at the victim, striking him at least once," said Sgt. Biggs.

Gomez is the city's 50th homicide victim of the year. Last year at this time there were only 36 and detectives say there was a noticeable spike in gang-related homicides.

"That's always the possibility you are going to have some sort of vacuum, and you are going to have younger gang members trying to move up the food chain. I don't think there is any one thing we can point to."

Detectives say Gomez lived a transient life with no criminal history and this shooting does not appear to be gang-motivated.

Officers say it is not just a the suspect, but a motive that also eludes them.