FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on a fatal shooting in downtown Fresno, California (all times local):
9 p.m.
The brother of a California man who Fresno police say shot and killed a motel security guard and three other men he targeted for being white says he’s shocked by the killings.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad, who is black, told investigators he decided to kill white people after police on Tuesday publicly identified him as a suspect in last week’s slaying of a security guard.
Muhammad’s brother, who didn’t want to be identified by name, says his family had been concerned about Muhammad’s homelessness.
Dyer says Muhammad told investigators that he wanted to be known as someone who killed many white people and not just a security guard.
Muhammad is being charged with four counts of murder.
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8:00 p.m.
An official says a man suspected of killing a motel security guard and three people he targeted for being white is being charged with four counts of murder.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says Kori Ali Muhammad will also face at least two additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Muhammad has a long record of criminal charges and a history of mental illness.
Dyer says Muhammad was publicly identified Tuesday as the person who last week shot a 25-year-old Motel 6 security guard.
He says Muhammad told police he wanted to be known as someone who killed many white people and not just a security guard.
Dyer says the victims include a utility worker and all are white men between the ages of 34 and 58.
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7:20 p.m.
The man suspected of killing three people in downtown Fresno had a long record of criminal charges in Sacramento.
Online Superior Court records show Kori Ali Muhammad was charged with more than a dozen felonies and misdemeanors between 1997 and 2004 using several aliases. They include forgery, domestic violence, criminal threats and driving under the influence.
On several occasions, Muhammad pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor within days of being charged. More serious crimes were dismissed and felonies were reduced to misdemeanors.
Muhammad spent years on probation in Sacramento County with periodic jail terms for probation violations.
Federal court records show Muhammad was charged in 2005 with possessing cocaine with intent to distribute.
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6:30 p.m.
Fresno police chief says a man arrested after killing three people told investigators he wanted to kill as many white people as possible after seeing he was wanted in the death of a security guard.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says Kori Ali Muhammad was publicly identified Tuesday as the person who last week shot a 25-year-old Motel 6 security guard.
He says Muhammad told police he wanted to be known as someone who killed many white people and not just a security guard.
Dyer says the victims are all white men between the ages of 34 and 58.
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6:15 p.m.
Fresno’s police chief says it doesn’t appear the suspect who fatally shot three people is connected to terrorism despite the statement that he made.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says Kori Ali Muhammad wanted to kill as many white people as possible before going to jail.
Dyer says “this is solely based on race.”
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5:30 p.m.
A former classmate of the man suspected of shooting three people to death in Fresno says that when they met he was outgoing, down to earth, peaceful and into health and nutrition.
Desiree Martinez says she met Kori Ali Muhammad three years ago when both were in a media training program at Community Media Access Collaborative in Fresno.
Martinez says everybody loved him and that whenever he saw someone eating junk food, he would talk to them about making healthier food choices.
She says she was shocked to hear that he was connected to Tuesday’s shootings.
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5:00 p.m.
Records show Muhammad was charged in 2005 with possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. Federal prosecutors said at the time that he was also in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and two rifles after being convicted of a felony.
He claimed insanity, and his attorney requested a psychiatric examination for his client, saying Muhammad “appeared eccentric with some bizarre beliefs.” A psychiatrist who examined Muhammad believed he had psychosis, Muhammad’s attorney said in the court filing.
Court documents also show Muhammad “suffered auditory hallucinations and had at least two prior mental health hospitalizations.”
They show his attorney said that Muhammad had “paranoia” and thought the justice system and his defense attorney were conspiring against him.
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4:40 p.m.
The suspect in the shooting deaths of three people in Fresno consistently posted racially charged videos and phrases on social media.
On what appeared to be Kori Ali Muhammad’s Facebook page, he repeatedly posted “#LetBlackPeopleGo” and encouraged “black warriors” to “mount up.”
A posting Monday says, “My kill rate increases tremendously on the other side.” He also posted about “white devils” and on several occasions, posted status updates that included the phrase “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic.
He linked almost daily to YouTube videos and an iTunes album titled “True Story Kori.” He appears on the cover of the album.
Police say he shot and killed three white men at random Tuesday before being arrested.
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4:40 p.m.
A resident says a victim of the Fresno shooting that left three men dead was lying on the sidewalk leading to his front door and had appeared to be carrying groceries.
Stephen Hughes says he and his wife rushed home Tuesday after receiving a frantic call from a neighbor. They saw a body draped in a blanket.
Hughes said he’s lived for 40 years in the home, which is in a neighborhood lined with tall, mature trees.
The blanket was later removed and replaced by black screens, from which a pair of feet in black shoes and white socks could be seen. Nearby was a bag of groceries, partly spilled.
The man’s identity wasn’t released. Another victim was a utility worker sitting in a work truck and a man gunned downed in a charity parking lot.
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3:45 p.m.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says one of its employees was killed during a shooting in downtown Fresno that left two others dead.
Police say the PG&E employee, who has not been identified, was sitting in the passenger seat of his work truck when the suspect walked up and shot him. The driver of the truck sped off to the police department for help.
The utility says in a statement it’s cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate what led the suspect to open fire Tuesday at four locations within a block.
Police say 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad was arrested shortly after the shooting.
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3:30 p.m.
Authorities say the suspect in a shooting that killed three people in central California has a criminal history.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad has been arrested on weapons, drugs and false imprisonment charges and making terrorist threats. He had been associated with gangs but was not a validated member.
Dyer says he had been living on the streets and most people had “disassociated” themselves from him.
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2:45 p.m.
Authorities say the man accused of shooting and killing three people in central California fired 16 rounds in one minute.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad was armed with a revolver and reloaded at one point. He opened fire at four locations within a block.
Muhammad was arrested shortly after the shooting. He also was wanted for a separate killing from last week, in which a motel security guard in Fresno was gunned down.
Dyer has said Muhammad shouted “God is great!” in Arabic while being arrested and had posted on social media that he dislikes white people. All three victims in Tuesday’s killings were white men, and Muhammad is black.
Dyer says police have called the FBI to assist in the investigation.
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This item has been corrected to show that police say the suspect posted on social media that he dislikes white people, not that he told officers that.
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1:35 p.m.
The imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno says the suspect in a shooting that killed three people was not a member of his center.
Seyed Ali Ghazvini said Tuesday that he and other faith leaders are trying to identify Kori Ali Muhammad.
Authorities say Muhammad yelled “God is great” in Arabic while being taken into custody. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says he also had posted on social media that he dislikes white people. All three victims were white.
Ghazvini offered prayers to the victims and their families. He said that members are shocked.
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This item has been corrected to show that police say the suspect posted on social media that he dislikes white people, not that he told officers that. Also, Seyed Ali Ghazvini’s first name was misspelled Sayed.
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1:20 p.m.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says the suspect in a shooting that killed three people in downtown Fresno shouted “God is great” in Arabic and had posted on social media that he dislikes white people.
All three victims in Tuesday’s killings were white. The police chief says they were shot minutes apart in close proximity in areas around downtown.
Thirty-nine-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad was arrested shortly afterward. He was already wanted for a separate killing from last week, in which a Motel 6 security guard in Fresno was gunned down.
Dyer says police have called the FBI to assist in the investigation. He says the suspect made other statements to police but did not disclose what they were.
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This item has been corrected to show that police say the suspect posted on social media that he dislikes white people, not that he told officers that.
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12:50 p.m.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says three people have been killed in a shooting in the downtown central California city.
He says a suspect is in custody. The shooting happened Tuesday morning near a Catholic Charities building.
Ashlee Wolf of Catholic Charities told the Fresno Bee newspaper (https://bit.ly/2oK6Vzc) that the shooting happened at a bus stop near the charity.
Wolf says the charity doesn’t believe the shooter was tied to Catholic Charities.
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12:30 p.m.
Emergency officials say a shooting has killed one person and injured two others in downtown Fresno.
Dan Lynch of Fresno County Emergency Medical Services says the two wounded by gunfire have been transported to hospitals.
Fresno city spokesman Mark Standriff says county offices are on lockdown, and people have been urged to shelter in place. Few other details were immediately known.
Ashlee Wolf of Catholic Charities told the Fresno Bee newspaper (https://bit.ly/2oK6Vzc ) the shooting happened at a bus stop near the charity.
Wolf says the charity doesn’t believe the shooter was tied to Catholic Charities. She says the charity is working with police to provide information.
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