Fresno Leader

Detectives with the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) have arrested three students from McLane High School in Fresno. The students have been booked into juvenile hall and are facing gun-related charges.

On Wednesday, August 21st, at approximately 3:40 pm, dispatchers received a call reporting shots fired near an Auto Zone store at Clinton and Cedar in Fresno. Deputies arrived to find no gunshot victims but discovered a disturbance involving a large group of students from nearby McLane High School. Preliminary investigations revealed that a 15-year-old boy used a handgun to pistol-whip another teenager, while a 16-year-old student fired shots as people were leaving the scene. Some bullets struck a vehicle and a nearby restaurant; however, no injuries were reported.

Witnesses provided descriptions of those involved, including the gunman, and shared several videos recorded at the scene. About 30 minutes after the shooting, deputies arrested the 16-year-old gunman in a nearby neighborhood.

Due to the gang-related nature of the incident, MAGEC detectives took over the case. Ensuring safety at McLane High School became a top priority for MAGEC, the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (ViCAT), and the Fresno Police Department's School Resource Officer (SRO). These agencies worked together over the next 60 hours to protect the campus and identify those responsible for Wednesday’s violent incident.

MAGEC ultimately arrested both the 15-year-old boy who pistol-whipped another person and another 15-year-old boy who helped dispose of firearms used by both gunmen. The firearms have not yet been recovered.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Fresno Police Department hope these arrests bring relief to the McLane High School community as it heads into its next week of session.

Anyone with additional information on this case is encouraged to contact the Fresno County Sheriff's Office at (559) 600-3111 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867 or www.valleycrimestoppers.org. Callers will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Reference case# 24-9575.