Woman is killed outside a Fresno store. Police seek witnesses who fled as shots rang out

A woman was shot and killed just before noon Saturday outside a Fresno liquor store.

Police said officers responded about 11:36 a.m. to Wayne’s Liquor at California and Thorne avenues after reports of a shooting.

Police found a 21-year-old woman with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper torso, Lt. Paul Cervantes said.

Officers provided life-saving measures before she was taken to a local hospital.

She was pronounced dead a short time later.

Cervantes said there apparently was a fight before shots rang out. He added that there were a number of witnesses seen on surveillance video fleeing on foot and in vehicles.

“I’m relatively certain there’s more people that probably were in the vicinity,” Cervantes said. “So much work to do in front of us. We have to locate and identify those individuals and try to figure out the reason for this particular incident.”

Several shell casings were found at the scene.

Cervantes said there have been 30 murders in 2023 compared to 53 this time last year.

Anyone with information can call police at 559-621-7000.