On April 16, 2023, 41-year-old Adavier Ni’Yeon Thomas was fatally shot in the parking lot of Zack’s Market at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and California Avenue in southwest Fresno. Officers who were nearby heard multiple gunshots just after 5:20 p.m.; Thomas was found with multiple gunshot wounds, taken to Community Regional Medical Center, and pronounced dead.

Witnesses reported a white Nissan Altima fleeing the scene. Officers pursued the vehicle and saw occupants discard two firearms; the pursuit ended near Church and Walnut Avenues, where the driver and passenger were taken into custody. The driver was identified as 39-year-old Faheem Muhammad and the passenger as 33-year-old Malcolm McCoy, both Fresno residents. Surveillance footage reportedly shows McCoy exiting the car, firing at an unidentified male, then shooting Thomas multiple times. Investigators say McCoy and Muhammad had earlier assaulted two other people nearby with a firearm.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office charged McCoy and Muhammad with murder, attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and gang-related enhancements; both men are described as having prior felony convictions and gang ties. Court proceedings were delayed and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for February 20, 2024. The investigation remains open; anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.