FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — On the fourth day of testimony in the trial of Cassandra Michael, the court heard from the brother and father of the suspected teen shooter, as well as a California Department of Justice firearms expert who testified a spent shell casing recovered during the investigation was fired from a revolver seized from the family home.
Hurley Rangel
Hurley Rangel, the brother of the suspected shooter, testified under subpoena with his attorney present. Throughout his testimony, Rangel repeatedly attempted to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, though the court ordered him to answer many of the questions posed by prosecutors.
Rangel testified he was at a gym on the evening of April 23, 2025 before returning home. He said nobody else was home at the time because his parents were out of town with his younger sisters.
According to Rangel, Cassandra and his brother later arrived at the house in Cassandra’s white Tesla.
Rangel testified Cassandra told him Caleb had died. After being shown portions of his prior interview with investigators to refresh his memory, Rangel said both Cassandra and his brother were present when she shared that information.
He described both of them as scared.
Rangel testified that his brother did not drive and did not have a driver’s license.
According to Rangel, he later drove Cassandra home at his brother’s request. He testified that his brother told him Cassandra was too upset to safely operate a vehicle.
“She was very hysterical, she couldn’t focus on the road,” Rangel testified, explaining what his brother told him.
Rangel said Cassandra appeared consistent with that description and that she seemed traumatized by what had happened. During the drive home, she did not tell him she knew who shot Caleb, he testified.
Rangel also testified that Cassandra told him Caleb had been shot outside a McDonald’s.
Prosecutors questioned Rangel extensively about statements he previously made to law enforcement. At several points, Rangel said he could not recall details that investigators documented during earlier interviews.
The judge also heard testimony about two revolvers recovered from the Rangel family home during the execution of a search warrant.
Rangel identified a black revolver as a firearm given to him by his late grandfather and identified a silver revolver as one intended for his brother.
He testified he had handled the firearms only when they were originally gifted and said his parents later stored them without telling him where they were kept.
Although Rangel initially testified there was never any indication his brother had located the firearms, prosecutors confronted him with prior statements in which he reportedly told investigators his brother had found at least one of the guns.
When asked whether he believed his brother was involved in the shooting, Rangel testified, “No I do not believe he was involved.”
However, prosecutors later referenced a prior statement Rangel allegedly gave investigators in which he said, “Well, he’s obviously … there’s no way he’s not (involved).”
During cross-examination by defense attorney Jeff Hammerschmidt, Rangel said Cassandra was crying, very upset and inconsolable the night of the shooting. He testified that while Cassandra spoke with him, his brother did most of the talking.
On redirect examination, Rangel again said Cassandra appeared too distraught to drive and became only slightly calmer during the ride home.
Abel Rangel
Abel Rangel, the father of the suspected shooter, also testified with counsel present.
He confirmed the family moved from the home searched by investigators several months after the shooting.
Rangel testified his son (the suspected shooter) did not drive and did not have a driver’s license. He confirmed the revolvers recovered during the search were gifts from his late father-in-law.
According to Rangel, the firearms were hidden in a locked bedroom, and he never told his sons where they were stored.
He testified he never kept ammunition in the home and had no explanation for how a spent shell casing ended up in his son’s bedroom.
Rangel said he was out of town on the night of the shooting and returned home the following Monday. After returning, he spoke with his son several times about the shooting.
He described his son’s demeanor as “distraught.”
Rangel also testified he saw Cassandra at the family home after he returned from his trip and described her as even more distraught than his son.
According to Rangel, Cassandra participated in several family conversations about the shooting.
When asked whether he had seen information identifying a white Tesla in connection with the investigation, Rangel acknowledged he had. He testified he never discussed that information with Cassandra, despite knowing she drove a white Tesla.
The last time he recalled seeing Cassandra was at a family dinner before investigators searched the home. He described both Cassandra and his son as quiet during that gathering.
Firearms Expert
The day’s final witness was Greg Masters, a senior criminalist with the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services.
Masters testified he analyzed the two revolvers recovered from the Rangel home and the spent shell casing found during the search.
He explained that firearms leave unique microscopic markings on shell casings when fired, allowing analysts to compare evidence casings with test-fired casings from a specific weapon.
Masters testified both revolvers were functional and were test-fired in the laboratory.
After comparing the test-fired casings with the casing recovered from the home, Masters concluded the spent shell casing found in the bedroom had been fired from the silver revolver recovered during the search, long believed to be the murder weapon.
Masters testified that, in his opinion, the recovered casing matched that revolver.
Just one day prior, another CA DOJ analyst testified that test results from the silver revolver indicated “strong support” of Cassandra and the suspected shooter’s DNA being on the weapon.
Investigators never recovered the bullet fired during the shooting.
