Fresno’s Tower District is flooding the streets with officers after a deadly weekend shooting capped a month of gun violence around its bars and clubs.
The stepped-up patrols follow the killing of Tyrone Miles, 28, who was shot near Olive and Linden avenues outside MIA Nightclub after closing time last weekend. Security footage captured a group arguing before a gunshot rang out, according to police. As of Saturday morning, detectives had announced no arrests and were asking witnesses to come forward with any cellphone video from the scene.
That killing came just 48 hours after another fatal shooting across town. Muhammad Muhtaraam-Conley, 25, died during an argument outside Bulldog Liquor on the 400 block of East Shaw Avenue in central Fresno. Police have identified two suspects in that case: Malik Upshaw, 26, who remains at large, and Sakilian Drum, 20, who turned himself in to authorities.
The bloodshed has shaken the nightlife corridor’s business community. Lewis Everek, owner of Everek Hospitality Group, told ABC 30 that watching the violence hit home has been crushing for the area’s identity.
“To see it at your front door, in a place that’s beloved by the community to see this type of violence happen, it’s very disheartening and discouraging to the city as well as the tower district,” Everek said.
The violence extends beyond the past week. Last month, gunfire erupted in the Tower District and sent one man to the hospital. In May, 27-year-old Charles Muhammad was arrested in connection with another shooting in the area.
Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias, who represents part of the Tower District, told ABC 30 that law enforcement will keep targeting criminal activity in the entertainment corridor. Visitors should now expect a visible police presence during busy weekend hours, with Arias saying between 20 and 40 officers could be on patrol at any given time.
“If you misbehave and you’re responsible for fights, for a shooting, or any type of activity, whether it’s in Tower District or Downtown Fresno, you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted, you will be spending some time in jail,” Arias said.
Business owners said the string of incidents is driving customers away and rattling merchants who have watched the district become a weekend destination. The concentration of violence around closing time at bars and liquor stores has amplified calls for both immediate enforcement and longer-term solutions from city leadership.
The police department continues to investigate the Miles killing while pursuing Upshaw in the Muhtaraam-Conley case. Detectives are seeking any witnesses who may have information about the nightclub shooting or footage from the area at the time of the incident.