Two men were tragically killed in a shooting that took place at a hookah lounge in Fresno, California, on Sunday night. According to Fox News, the incident occurred at 10:45 p.m. at “The O” hookah lounge near Milburn and Herndon avenues.
At the time of the shooting, an estimated 30 to 50 people were at a private party inside the lounge. When Fresno police arrived on the scene, they found Felix Hawkins, 41, suffering from gunshot wounds. Hawkins was later pronounced dead at the scene. He is the son of former Fresno City Councilmember Cynthia Sterling, who served from 2003-2011.
Akili Moffett, 32, was also shot during the incident. Citizens took Moffett to a nearby hospital, where he died from a single gunshot wound.
Detectives believe that an argument broke out and a gun was fired into the crowd of people. Multiple shell casings were found at the scene, but no firearms were recovered. Police are now seeking surveillance footage from the area that could help identify the suspects.
The tragic incident shocked the Fresno community, and the police are continuing to investigate. Our thoughts go out to the families of the two victims.
Attorney contributor Jason Amala represents victims of shootings and their families in civil lawsuits across the state of California. Bobby recently shared who could be held liable for a deadly hookah lounge shooting.
"It is important for any business, including hookah lounges and bars, to take steps to protect its staff and patrons from violent crimes. There are many steps that such businesses can take to reduce the risk of violent crime, including enforcing a clear policy prohibiting weapons and other items that could be used as weapons, hiring security personnel or bouncers, and ensuring all surveillance systems are working properly."
"Not providing adequate security to protect patrons and staff from shootings can result in severe harm or even death. If someone is injured or killed due to inadequate protection at a hookah lounge, the victim or the victim’s family may be able to file a civil claim against the bar or hookah lounge for negligent security."
"In this situation, the victim or the victim’s family would need to demonstrate that the hookah lounge failed to provide adequate security measures and that this failure was a substantial factor in causing injury or death. An experienced violent crime attorney will help their client identify if the crime was foreseeable and what parties can be held liable."