'Senseless act of violence': Family says Fresno shooting victim was killed while picking up fishing gear

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A 70-year-old Pinedale antheral was changeable and killed Saturday greeting portion visiting a location successful northwest Fresno to prime up sportfishing equipment.

Fresno Police person identified the unfortunate arsenic Carl Johnson and the suspected shooter arsenic 46-year-old Stewart Coleman.

The incidental happened astatine a location successful the 5600 artifact of North Cleo Avenue, adjacent Roberts Avenue.

Police accidental Johnson did not unrecorded astatine the home—he was reportedly determination to retrieve immoderate sportfishing cogwheel that belonged to a longtime person who had passed away.

Johnson’s son, John Johnson, said his begetter was called to the location the nighttime earlier by the widow of his erstwhile sportfishing buddy.

“Another idiosyncratic called him to spell prime up that stuff,” said John. “That was, well, 1 of his champion friends. He spoke astir him precise highly. And truthful my dad, by proxy, was astir apt precise bully friends with her arsenic well.”

Fresno Police Lt. Brian Valles said that soon aft Carl Johnson arrived astatine the location astir 10 a.m., an statement broke retired betwixt him and the woman’s son, Coleman.

“When officers arrived connected scene, they located a 70-year-old male, aboriginal identified arsenic Carl Johnson, suffering from an evident gunshot coiled successful the backyard of the location,” said Valles.

Johnson was rushed to the hospital, wherever helium died a abbreviated clip later.

During their investigation, constabulary say Coleman told officers determination was a firearm wrong the home. 

That limb was aboriginal recovered arsenic officers secured the spot and searched for immoderate further suspects oregon victims.

Carl Johnson’s lad said helium believes there’s much to the story.

“My dada went determination with an unfastened bosom to assistance a friend,” said John. “My dada was taken from america successful a senseless enactment of violence.”

Detectives person not confirmed whether the pistillate played immoderate relation successful the incident. 

According to police, she was the 1 who called to study the shooting and has been cooperative with the investigation.

However, Johnson’s household pointed retired an inconsistency: they accidental the pistillate told Carl connected Friday she simply wanted him to travel look done immoderate of her precocious husband’s sportfishing gear—there was nary notation of a gait sale.

But during an interrogation with investigators, she reportedly claimed she had invited Carl over for a gait sale.

As for Coleman, helium was arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail connected execution charges.