Daytime Shooting Terrifies People in Fresno’s Downtown

Crowds of people found themselves caught up in Tuesday’s violence at a downtown Fresno medical center. Many of them trying to get to loved ones who found themselves in the middle of the chaos.

Two people are dead in what Fresno police are calling a murder-suicide.

Police suspect Neng Moua, 43, of walking into the workplace of his 33-year-old estranged partner Tuesday just before 11 a.m. in a downtown medical building that houses the Sang Pediatrics and Eye Medical Center offices.

Police said Moua shot the victim, a mother of seven, several times at close range, killing her.

"There were several people that were running out of the building frantically advising our officers that an Asian male had come inside of the building, was armed with a shotgun and had shot one of the employees," said Deputy Chief Pat Farmer with the Fresno Police Department.

Minutes later, Moua shot and killed himself, Farmer said.

When the shooting started, there were 8 employees and 8 patients still inside the medical offices.

An intense moment captured on video–as Maria Macias, an employee, found her pregnant sister-in-law who made it out of the office after she did.

"It’s scary. My first thought were my children. I’m on the phone crying hearing gunshots. I called my son. I called my daughter. I called my other son. I called my mother–I scared my mother," Macias said.

Even young patients witnessed the horror.

"I was holding my brother, and I just grabbed him and just ran into the other room," said a young girl.

Outside, Matthew Gutierrez said his girlfriend sent him a text message saying there was a hostage situation at her work.

"She called me. She let me know that the office was locked down. The officers have the building surrounded," Gutierrez said.

Inside, some were still trapped.

Police got a 911 call from a 50-year-old woman who was still inside with her three children, ages 14, 9 and 2.

"We kept constant communication with the woman and her three children–advised them to keep the door locked and stay in place. We had a SWAT team inside the building," Farmer said.

Police rescued them, and they were not hurt.

There is a documented case of domestic violence between the couple from 11 years ago where Moua was arrested, Farmer said.

Police are investigating the case, but they said it’s possible it was a child custody dispute.