3 killed in Fresno, California, shooting spree

(Image credit: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)

published 18 April 2017

A man in Fresno, California, shot and killed three people downtown Tuesday morning, including two at a Catholic Charities, before surrendering to authorities.

The suspect has been identified as 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad. The Fresno Police Department told reporters Muhammad said "Allahu Akbar" when he was taken into custody, and the Los Angeles Times reports he was known for "advocating black separatism and making militant comments on social media." He was also wanted in connection with the murder last week of a security guard outside of a Fresno motel, Police Chief Jerry Dyer said.

In total, 16 rounds were fired in four locations, Dyer said. Police say Muhammad walked down a street and shot at several residents and a passenger in a truck, before opening fire at Catholic Charities. "Too early to say whether or not this involves terrorism," Dyer said. "Certainly by the statement that was made, it could give that indication, however, there was no statement made on Thursday night when he shot the security guard and killed him. There was no comments or no statements made at that time, so I am not certain why he said what he said today."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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