by FRESNO, Calif. — A street fight in southwest Fresno took a violent turn earlier this month when a woman allegedly encouraged a teenager to open fire, leaving three girls injured, according to police.
The incident happened on May 5, 2025. Fresno police say they responded to alerts from ShotSpotter — a gunshot detection system — and multiple 911 calls reporting that several people had been shot.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found three young female victims, each suffering from a gunshot wound. The shooting occurred near an unspecified location in southwest Fresno.
According to witnesses, a fight had broken out among a group of girls when a 17-year-old boy walked up. That’s when Vanessa Noriega, who is now under arrest, allegedly shouted at the teen to “shoot the girls,” police said.
The teen then opened fire on the group, hitting three people before running from the scene.
Noriega was arrested shortly after and booked into the Fresno County Jail on three counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
Detectives from the Felony Assault Unit later identified the teenage shooter — a male already on felony probation for auto theft. He was taken into custody by authorities soon after the shooting.
