A man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday afternoon after an argument near Thomas and Clark avenues in Fresno escalated into gunfire. The shooting was reported at approximately 4:15 p.m., and the man accused of pulling the trigger fled before officers could reach the scene, leaving investigators searching for him into the evening.
Argument Turns Violent on State Property
According to YourCentralValley.com, two men became involved in an altercation that ended with one of them shot and the other running off before police arrived. Because the shooting happened on state property, the California Highway Patrol took over the investigation from local police, as reported by kmph.com. The wounded man was taken to Community Regional Medical Center for treatment, and his injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
CHP reported that bullet casings were recovered at the scene, but as of Wednesday evening no weapon had been found. Investigators were actively working to track down the man who fled, and officials said they had not identified any direct witnesses who could offer definitive information about what happened. The preliminary investigation raised the possibility that the two men may have been unhoused, though CHP said that detail had not been confirmed, nor had the precise circumstances of the argument that set off the shooting.
Part of a String of Fresno Arguments-Turned-Shootings
Wednesday's shooting is the latest in a series of Fresno incidents this year in which disputes between people who know each other, or even strangers, have turned into gunfire. In September, a man was shot and killed following an argument in the Tower District, according to ABC30 Fresno. Back in May, another man was hospitalized after being shot following a verbal argument with a group, the same outlet that covered Wednesday's shooting also reported in an earlier story.
A separate incident in July saw numerous shell casings found on the roadway along West Shields Avenue, according to the Fresno Bee. No connection between that case and Wednesday's shooting near Thomas and Clark has been established; it is cited here only as an example of the pattern of argument-related gunfire investigators have been responding to around the city this year.
For now, the search for the man who fled the scene near Thomas and Clark continues, with CHP asking anyone with information to come forward as the investigation remains active.
