2017 Fresno shootings

Kori Ali Muhammad
Kori Ali Muhammad
Born	March 21, 1978 (age 48)
Occupation	Perpetrator of 2017 Fresno shootings
Known for	2017 Fresno shootings, hate crimes

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article 2017 Fresno shootings, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

On April 18, 2017, a shooting driven by racial animus occurred in Fresno, California, resulting in the deaths of three white males. The perpetrator, Kori Ali Muhammad, was found guilty of committing four homicides and four attempted homicides. Muhammad declared his motive stemmed from animosity toward white individuals, especially white men. He discharged 17 rounds, killing three men without injuring others, and also targeted additional people and a vehicle without causing further harm. All those targeted were white.

Before this incident, on April 13, Muhammad fatally shot a security guard at a Motel 6. Law enforcement observed that his social media content contained anti-white and anti-government sentiments. Although Muhammad exclaimed "Allahu Akbar" upon his arrest, officials concluded the acts were not connected to religious extremism but rather classified as hate crimes. He had no ties to terrorist groups.

Kori Muhammad received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Motel 6 shooting

Around 11:00 p.m. on April 13, an unarmed security officer at a Motel 6 in central Fresno, California confronted Kori Ali Muhammad, who was visiting a woman registered at the motel. The motel's policy required all visitors to present identification at the front desk; therefore, the guard and an armed colleague approached the room to enforce this rule. While escorting Muhammad and the woman to the office, a dispute arose between the guard and the woman. During this confrontation, Muhammad distanced himself momentarily before drawing a handgun and firing multiple close-range shots that killed the guard, Carl Williams. The motel’s wireless security cameras recorded the shooting. Muhammad also fired shots toward the motel and another security guard but did not injure anyone else before fleeing.

Manhunt

The woman who retreated back to her room was arrested on felony accessory charges after attempting to destroy evidence and refusing to identify Muhammad as the shooter. Investigators revealed that Muhammad evaded capture by hiding on a nearby 7-Eleven rooftop where he observed police activity before moving to an elementary school dumpster. Over the weekend, he moved throughout Fresno and altered his appearance by cutting his hair.

On April 18, Fresno police identified 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad as the suspect; he was acquainted with the daughter of the woman involved at the motel. That morning, Muhammad visited a Starbucks where he used their Wi-Fi to watch a news report naming him as a suspect in the security guard’s murder.

Downtown shootings

Following his identification as a suspect, Muhammad resolved not to "go down for one murder," intending instead to "target as many white men as possible." Several hours later, multiple shootings took place in downtown Fresno. Muhammad first fired four shots into a PG&E utility truck, critically wounding passenger Zachary Randalls. The driver, identified as Hispanic and unharmed, transported Randalls to police headquarters; Randalls later succumbed to his injuries at Community Regional Medical Center.

During Muhammad's trial, the truck’s driver described witnessing Muhammad’s "cold, dark expression" and suspicious demeanor prior to shooting Randalls. The driver quickly reversed and called emergency services; however, Randalls lost consciousness en route.

Moments after shooting Randalls near N. Van Ness Avenue, Muhammad fired twice at a 59-year-old man but missed; one bullet struck a nearby residence. He then discharged one shot at a vehicle occupied by Hispanic individuals but ceased when recognizing their ethnicity.

Muhammad proceeded to shoot Mark Gassett outside a Catholic Charities facility, killing him with three bullets. After reloading at a bus stop, he fired at three white men; two escaped unharmed while he pursued and fatally shot David Jackson in a parking lot. Witnesses reported hearing Muhammad shout profanities during the assault.

Law enforcement officers apprehended Muhammad as he ran down the street; during his arrest he shouted "Allahu Akbar." Several bullets and speedloaders for a .357 Magnum revolver were recovered on his person, but no firearm was found initially. Police stated that the weapon had been wrapped in clothing and taken by an accomplice who fled. Seventeen rounds were fired within 90 seconds; law enforcement detained Muhammad within four minutes after gunfire began.

Numerous streets and county government buildings were secured during the shootings with shelter-in-place directives issued to residents.

Aftermath

The FBI and ATF were alerted following the shootings. Personnel from the Department of Homeland Security also arrived at the Fresno Police Department headquarters. Chief Dyer characterized the event as "an unprovoked act of violence" executed by a single individual, emphasizing that it was "premature" to label the incident as terrorism. A federal law enforcement representative described the situation as a "local criminal issue" rather than an act of terrorism.

Authorities at the local level pursued an investigation into the shootings as a potential hate crime. Chief Dyer disclosed that Kori Muhammad, who is black, confessed to deliberately targeting white individuals after discovering he was sought in connection with an earlier Motel 6 shooting. Muhammad cooperated with investigators by leading them through the crime scenes and recounting his actions while laughing.

All those killed were white men. The security guard at Motel 6 was 25-year-old Carl Williams. The victims on April 18 included Zackary David Randalls, 34, a PG&E employee from Clovis; along with Mark James Gassett, 37, and David Martin Jackson, 58, both residents of Fresno.

Mayor Lee Brand offered his condolences to the families of the victims and described April 18 as "a sorrowful day for everyone." PG&E also extended sympathies to those impacted, particularly the family of their deceased employee.

Perpetrator

Kori Ali Muhammad (born March 21, 1978) was identified as the shooter responsible for the attacks. At the time homeless, he had some gang affiliations but was not formally enrolled in any gang. He is a father to three children.

Personal background

Originally named Cory Allen Taylor and once known as Kori Taylor, Muhammad legally changed his name during his teenage years. His grandmother mentioned his early interest in Islam, while his aunt recalled that he also attended a Baptist church during his youth.

Muhammad resided in both Fresno and Sacramento, California. His Facebook profile indicated that he studied multimedia at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento. A representative from Los Rios Community College District confirmed that a student named Kori McWallace—with Muhammad’s birthdate—was enrolled at Cosumnes River College, American River College, and Sacramento City College between 1996 and 2004; however, records regarding graduation were not available. He also attended Fresno City College but reportedly had inconsistent attendance and accused faculty members of racial bias.

Previous criminal history

Muhammad’s criminal record spans from 1997 to 2004 and includes arrests related to weapons possession, drug offenses, forgery, false imprisonment, and making terrorist threats. Court files noted experiences of auditory hallucinations and prior stays in mental health facilities. Two early incidents involved carrying a firearm onto school grounds. In 2004, he was detained in Washington state for discharging a firearm outside his apartment but left before prosecution; authorities declined extradition requests, leading to dismissal of charges.

In February 2005, Muhammad faced federal indictment for cocaine possession with intent to distribute, firearm possession connected to drug trafficking, and possession by a convicted felon. He attempted an insanity defense citing hallucinations and psychosis. A judge found him incompetent to stand trial and ordered commitment to a mental health institution for up to four months. By August 2006, he was deemed competent, pleaded guilty to two counts, and received a sentence exceeding nine years, later reduced to over seven years. He was released early in September 2016.

Muhammad asserted that he had shot someone at age twelve; however, police records did not verify this claim.

Views and statements

Muhammad operated two Facebook accounts and one Twitter profile, all of which promoted themes of black pride and black nationalism. His social media pages displayed symbols associated with Black Power and the Pan-African flag. Law enforcement noted that he expressed strong animosity toward white individuals and the government. He openly commended Micah Xavier Johnson, the 2016 Dallas police shooter, and utilized hashtags such as "#LetBlackPeopleGo," urging "black warriors" to "mount up." Muhammad’s father revealed that his son believed a race war was imminent and attempted to alert authorities about his potential plans.

In an interview conducted while in custody, Muhammad attributed his attacks to hatred of white people—particularly white males—portraying himself as combating white supremacy and systemic injustices affecting African Americans. He framed his actions as martyrdom for "the freedom of my people" and showed no remorse for taking four lives.

During his capital punishment trial, Muhammad testified that his objective was to kill white men specifically, referencing ancient religious prophecies foretelling their downfall. He likened his killings to the coronavirus selectively targeting white men. Additionally, he claimed divine status and asserted that God would bring about America’s destruction if reparations were not paid to African Americans. Muhammad also took responsibility for the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, California.

At sentencing, following statements from victims’ relatives, Muhammad expressed condolences but shifted focus to demands for land reparations, which angered family members of the victims; he then mocked their reactions.

His online presence showed support for the Moorish Science Temple of America and contained references consistent with the Nation of Islam (NOI), a black supremacist organization designated as a hate group by watchdog entities. Muhammad employed NOI terminology such as "grafted white devils" and "Yakub," citing Wallace Fard Muhammad—a prominent NOI figure—as an influence. Family members indicated he became involved with NOI during his youth but did not specify the extent of his later involvement.

Muhammad’s ideology blended Nation of Islam teachings with practices from Louisiana voodoo (Kali Sufi), incorporating amulets and self-identifying as a deity.

In the months preceding his arrest, specifically February 2017, Muhammad released two hip hop albums under the alias B-God MacSun, which featured themes centered on racial violence and portrayed himself as an "Asiatic black god." Between 2015 and 2016, he also hosted a four-episode music-focused talk show on a nonprofit media outlet where he claimed gang affiliation beginning at age nine and involvement with black liberation groups including NOI during his teenage years. The nonprofit’s director described him as "kind and curious," whereas a former acquaintance found him "intense and unnerving."

A local imam confirmed that Muhammad was not a member of his mosque's congregation. Muhammad told law enforcement he identified as Muslim but had not attended mosque services in 25 years and prayed to seven different deities. He denied any ties to terrorist organizations.

Legal proceedings

After his arrest, Muhammad faced charges including four counts of murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. On April 21, 2017, during his initial court appearance concerning the murder of Carl Williams and attempted murder of a security officer, Muhammad interrupted proceedings by shouting demands related to reparations and warnings about escalating natural disasters. This led to a temporary halt in the trial and an order for psychiatric evaluation. Bail was set at $2.6 million. Subsequent court dates were postponed to allow additional mental health assessments.

On October 13, 2017, a trial commencement date was scheduled for January 8, 2018. Early hearings concentrated on assessing Muhammad’s mental fitness to stand trial amid conflicting psychiatric reports. Dr. Meloy deemed him competent, noting that although diagnosed with schizophrenia, it was well-managed and did not impair his capacity to distinguish right from wrong. On January 22, 2018, the presiding judge ruled him fit for trial.

Jury selection started on February 4, 2020, with the trial officially beginning March 2. Muhammad faced charges including four counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder in a case pursuing the death penalty. During testimony, he admitted killing four men and attempting to kill others, citing racial motivations and invoking references to the coronavirus.

On April 22, 2020, the jury found Muhammad guilty of three counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree murder with hate crime enhancements for another victim, along with four counts of attempted second-degree murder. The defense later agreed to withdraw the insanity defense and death penalty phase in exchange for a life sentence without parole. On June 5, 2020, Muhammad received this sentence.

He was initially held at Wasco State Prison before being transferred to Kern Valley State Prison; as of 2024, he is incarcerated at the California Health Care Facility.

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