Detectives are investigating two shooting deaths of 15-year-olds on Monday, March 23, 2026 in Fresno, California.
ANTHONY GALAVIZ
agalaviz@fresnobee.com
An overnight shooting in a Fresno neighborhood on Monday left two 15-year-olds dead and another teen hospitalized, police said, as investigators work to determine what led to the violence.
In an update on the city’s eighth and ninth homicides, Fresno police chief Mindy Casto confirmed that four individuals were involved in the shooting early Monday morning.
A third victim — a 14-year-old — remains hospitalized in stable condition after initially arriving in critical condition.
Casto said a fourth individual — a 17-year-old — was also shot at but was not struck; however, police are still classifying that person as a victim.
Police are not releasing victim names because of the ages, the department said in a statement.
The shooting occurred at approximately 1:21 a.m. near the intersection of San Jose Avenue and Fourth Street, south of Barstow Avenue.
Casto said the group was returning from a nearby restaurant and heading to a friend’s home when gunfire erupted.
Investigators have not yet determined whether the shots were fired from a vehicle or by someone on foot.
“Detectives are still obviously very busy parsing through all of the forensic evidence generated as a result of the investigation and the deaths of those individuals,” Casto said.
“It’s very early, so we don’t know the motivation or anything else about what happened this morning near Fourth and San Jose, but detectives are working hard to get through that.”
The incident has shaken the surrounding neighborhood.
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, described the area as typically quiet and said the violence was unexpected.
“Stuff like this doesn’t usually happen,” the neighbor said. “Waking up at 2 a.m., I saw at least 10 police cars on the block. It happens all day in the city, but for it to happen on your block is a different thing.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Fresno Police at 559-621-7000. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 4:04 PM.
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Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology.
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