‘Community is safe’: Caleb Quick’s father relieved after arrests made

CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Two Clovis teenagers are in custody, charged on suspicion of the homicide of 18-year-old Caleb Quick.

“I’m extremely confident to say our community is safe,” Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming announced at Saturday’s press conference.

A masked suspect shot and killed Quick outside a Clovis McDonald’s on April 23.

Police say photos from nearby surveillance cameras show two people involved.

“As far as the victim and the suspect, they did know each other. To what extent, I don’t know,” Fleming said.

Fleming says a 16-year-old boy was the one who allegedly pulled the trigger, pictured wearing a mask inside the McDonald’s.

They say his 16-year-old girlfriend allegedly drove the getaway car: a white Tesla.

Over the two and a half weeks since the shooting, police say both suspects’ parents hired attorneys.

Then on Friday night, police worked with those attorneys and the suspects turned themselves in.

“The gun was recovered at the suspect shooter’s house during a search warrant,” Fleming said.

Quick’s dad, Stephen Quick, shared his reaction to the arrests with YourCentralValley.com Saturday.

“Just a big sigh of relief that we’ve got these two. And so the next process is, you know, trying to prove without a reasonable doubt that these two are indeed responsible for my son’s death,” Quick said.

He says the loss of his son left a heavy burden, lightened by the community’s support.

Caleb Quick’s school friends organized a car wash fundraiser for the family Saturday. 

“The amount of support Clovis has done for my son, it’s just been very humbling,” Quick said.

Both suspects were charged on suspicion of murder.

Reporters asked police why the getaway driver faces the same charge as the shooter, but they could not answer.

They say many details, like the suspects’ identities and motives, must remain hidden because they are minors.

Quick says his family was not even told who the suspects are.

However, he says the knowledge of their arrests is enough to let his family take steps toward healing.

“We’re not moving on without him. We’re moving on with him and we’re trying to heal with him and that will forever be in our heart,” Quick said.

Police say they still have about two months of investigating ahead. They say whether the suspects will be charged as minors or adults is up to the District Attorney.