Police chief: Fresno killings a hate crime
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A man fatally shot three people in less than two minutes in what police in Fresno, California, are calling a hate crime.
The three victims from the shooting rampage Tuesday were white, and apparently chosen at random, police said. The suspect, Kori Ali Muhammad, 39, is black.
Muhammad had posted on social media a dislike for white people and government officials, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. He also yelled “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) when he was arrested Tuesday, officials said.
“We do not believe … that this is a terrorist-related crime,” Dyer told reporters. “This is solely based on race.”
The FBI is assisting in the investigation.
The shootings started around 10:45 a.m. local time.
Muhammad fired 16 rounds within 60 to 90 seconds, Dyer said.
A 34-year-old PG&E truck passenger and two other men — a 37-year-old and a 58-year-old — in downtown Fresno, were shot, Dyer said. Two of the victims were near Catholic Charities and were clients of the social services agency, he said.
The slain men are believed to have had no connection to Muhammad.
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