Man accused of killing his cousin pleads not guilty in Fresno courtroom

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The antheral accused of sidesplitting his ain relative during a shooting successful Northwest Fresno appeared successful tribunal Friday, pleading not guilty.

The victim's loved ones were besides there, they accidental they are heartbroken and successful daze and inactive don't cognize what could person motivated the crime.

34-year-old Gerrick Franklin plead not blameworthy to allegedly shooting and sidesplitting his ain cousin, 33-year-old Tyler Hamon.

"It's a slap successful the face, the slightest helium tin bash is admit his guilt apologize to his kids if anything," says Jessica Edwards, parent of Hamon's children.

The homicide happened conscionable aft midnight successful Northwest Fresno backmost connected November 1st. Police accidental 5 shots rang retired astatine the Windscape Apartments connected Nees and Poplar Avenues, erstwhile they arrived, they recovered Hamon wrong his chamber with a gunshot coiled successful his back.

"Not guilty? How are you not blameworthy you had capable clip to thrust to his apartment, capable clip to enactment a pin in, to deliberation astir this, parkland your car, locomotion up immoderate steps, not guilty? You knew what you were doing. It's premeditated," said Krishna Hamon, the victim's sister.

Hamon leaves down 7 children. His sister tells Action News helium was an progressive father, a bully man, and a hard worker. Family members are heartbroken, and inactive successful shock.

"We conscionable privation to cognize wherefore we conscionable privation to cognize why. Why? He had kids. My member did everything for him. He loved him that was his family," said Edwards.

"My member gave this lad shoes, helium looked retired for him, for you to bash thing similar this is unimagined," said Hamon.

In a property league aft the shooting, constabulary revealed they recovered slug holes done the beforehand door, they judge Franklin changeable his mode in.

ABC30 Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi says this could beryllium a cardinal portion of grounds successful the case., but determination are inactive a batch of unknowns.

"Did helium spell into the flat and was determination an argument? Was determination a tussle wrong the apartment? We don't cognize immoderate of that astatine this point, but the grounds shows astatine this constituent that determination were a fig of shots done the door, which is highly unusual," said Capozzi.

Capozzi says different cardinal point, the information that Franklin allegedly ran from the scene, helium says that information could bespeak guilt.

"What we spot close present looks precise atrocious for the defendant. But erstwhile we spot the full representation the representation that whitethorn change," said Capozzi.

We should note, it is communal for a not blameworthy plea to beryllium entered this aboriginal successful a tribunal case. Franklin is facing a execution complaint with enhancements.

His bail is acceptable astatine implicit $1.5 million.

He is expected to beryllium backmost successful tribunal connected January 16th.

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