Shooting near Manchester Center in Fresno was targeted, police say

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Fresno Police Department says they believe a man who was shot at Manchester Center was the victim of a targeted attack following a dispute earlier in the day.

Officials say the shooting happened shortly before 8 p.m. According to police, officers were dispatched after receiving a ShotSpotter alert indicating multiple gunshots in the area near the mall.

Officers arrived and found the victim, a man around 25 years old, inside Manchester Center.

According to officials, he had been shot once in the upper left leg and was transported to Community Regional Medical Center.

Police say he was in stable condition and has since been released.

But authorities say the shooting was not a random act of violence, but rather stemmed from an earlier argument between the victim and another man.

That same man later returned to the mall with two additional individuals.

A physical altercation broke out between the group and the victim just moments before the gunfire.

“One of those males got involved in a physical altercation with the victim right before the shooting, and then the victim was shot,” said Sgt. Trueba-Vega.

Although the victim was found inside the mall, detectives determined the shooting actually occurred in the back parking lot of the complex.

Police emphasized that this was an isolated incident and not a random attack on shoppers.

“We’d like to remind the community that this incident was targeted… we want them to feel comfortable when they’re thinking about shopping there,” Sgt. Trueba-Vega said. “It was not a random incident.”

No arrests have been made, and police say the investigation is ongoing. One car in the area, which was not connected to the incident, was also hit by gunfire.

Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has additional information to contact Fresno Police.