FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Fresno police say they expect an arrest soon after a gunman opened fire outside MIA Nightclub early Sunday morning. Two people were hurt, and the shooting is renewing concerns about violence in the Tower District.
The shooting happened around 12:17 a.m. near Olive Avenue and Broadway Street. Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto said video shows a dispute between two groups. Words were exchanged, then a man pulled out a gun and fired nine shots.
Casto said officers already assigned to the Tower District heard the gunfire and responded immediately. Detectives have since recovered the gun used in the shooting and are working to identify the shooter and the people who were with him.
One of the victims was not involved in the fight. Casto says he was simply waiting in line outside MIA nightclub when he was struck by gunfire.
For nightclub owner Lewis Everk, that victim’s identity made the shooting even more personal. Everk says the man is a former employee who was waiting in line and dressed in a Halloween costume when he was shot. Everk says he also rendered first aid to the other person who was shot.
Everk owns several nightclubs across Fresno.
“I care about our patrons. I care about the Tower District. I’ve spent my whole life here,” he said.
Sunday’s shooting marks the fourth shooting in the Tower District since May. Previous shootings in May, August and September also attracted significant attention, including the September killing of 28-year-old Tyrone Miles. Police made arrests in those cases and say they expect to make an arrest in this investigation as well.
As city leaders, law enforcement and business owners search for answers, Casto says the discussion needs to focus on more than simply adding officers.
The chief pushed back on criticism that the Tower District is overpoliced. At least 12 officers were there when Sunday’s shooting happened, with more already on the way. By the end of the night, she said, there were between 25 and 30 officers in the district.
“Some people say that we’re overpolicing the Tower,” Casto said. “I would certainly think that we’re not overpolicing the Tower. I think it defies logic to say that there would be less crime if we weren’t there.”
Casto said Fresno has invested heavily in policing the district because it serves as one of the city’s premier entertainment and gathering spots. She defended that spending, saying the department is committed to keeping the area safe.
“It’s an investment,” Casto said. “We want the Tower to be a nice place for people to go, and we’re never going to give up on that.”
“We need to look at a strategy that includes more partnerships,” she said.
The chief also challenged the perception that crime is out of control in the Tower District. She noted recent crime statistics do not show widespread violent crime throughout the neighborhood, though she acknowledged a small number of individuals continue to cause serious problems.
“Crime is not out of control, but there are some individuals who feel very emboldened to commit crime in the Tower,” Casto said.
Casto said that, based on the video police have reviewed, there appears to be no connection between the shooter and any Tower business.
Among the ideas he plans to discuss at a community meeting Wednesday are a shared ID-scanning system among Tower businesses and barricades with checkpoints at some entrances to the district’s main corridor. He also pointed to the metal detectors the Fresno Fair added.
“If you operate after 10 p.m., you should at least have a scanner that checks IDs to identify bad actors that is tied in with every other business in the Tower,” Everk said.
Everk says Fresno is far from the only city grappling with the issue.
“This is not just a Fresno problem or California problem,” he said. “This is a problem that we’re seeing everywhere in every major city.”
Despite differing perspectives on exactly what changes are needed, Everk and Casto both say lasting solutions will require the community working together.
“Something’s got to change. Enough is enough,” Everk said.
Casto said city leaders planned to meet Monday to discuss possible next steps for the district. While she said proposals such as temporarily limiting nightlife activities could be considered, she cautioned against a knee-jerk decision, saying people’s livelihoods and businesses are at stake.
For Everk, the answer will not come from any single group acting alone.
“Until we can come together as a community, stop pointing the blame at each other and find some really solid solutions that can help us turn this thing around, we’re going to continue to see more of the same,” he said.
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