FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Action News has learned new details in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Caleb Quick outside a Clovis McDonald’s, with the attorney for the teenage suspect suggesting the killing may have been motivated by allegations of sexual misconduct involving Quick.
Attorney Mark Coleman, who represents the 16-year-old boy charged in the April shooting, said in an exclusive sit-down interview that the incident may have been provoked by what he described as “egregious harm” allegedly committed by Quick.
“It wasn’t for money. It wasn’t for personal benefit,” Coleman said. “It was avenging an egregious harm that occurred to someone else.”
According to Coleman, police documents and witness statements indicate that Quick may have been involved in multiple incidents of sexual misconduct. One key piece of evidence, he said, is a video found on Quick’s phone dated April 14, which allegedly shows a sexual encounter with a girl who later told investigators she had blacked out and did not remember consenting.
Coleman said the girl only became aware of the incident after Quick sent her the video.
“The motive for this crime, according to police, is that someone knew of the rape and the videotape, and they believed that Caleb had done this on a number of occasions and that he needed to be stopped,” Coleman said.
He added that investigators are aware of at least two other similar incidents involving Quick.
Police interviewed several of Quick’s friends, one of whom said he frequently slapped her and once pressured her into sex.
Another friend told police Caleb’s behavior was well known and that there were several incidents.
“It puts it into a completely different context,” Coleman said. “I think everybody needs to put themselves in that position in terms of what you would do.”
Investigators believe the teen shooter and his girlfriend were at the McDonald’s prior to the attack, left so he could change into all-black, and then returned.
Investigators believe surveillance video shows the suspect tracking Quick for 13 minutes before following him into the parking lot.
Authorities believe the suspect’s girlfriend was also inside the restaurant before the attack and later left in a white Tesla.
The teenage suspect denied the murder charge during a court appearance Wednesday. A judge ordered him to remain in juvenile hall.
“My argument is that if, assuming he did this, which again we don’t concede that there was great provocation, that it’s not likely to recur,” Coleman said.
