Fresno killings investigated for ties to Fresno Uncensored DVD
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Killings investigated for ties to DVD
Fresno police say shootings were gang-related.
By Vanessa Colón, Anne Dudley Ellis, Pablo Lopez / The Fresno Bee
(Updated Saturday, October 29, 2005, 5:35 AM)
Two men shot to death roughly 14 hours apart Thursday were members of
rival street gangs, and both homicides could have some connection to
the now-infamous "Fresno Uncensored" DVD.
Cameron Joel Daniels, 23, was shot about 12:45 a.m. at a Tower District
nightclub during the filming of a music video for rapper Diego Redd.
Keith Breazell, 37, was gunned down at Birney Elementary School just as
kindergartners left campus around 3 p.m.
Both Breazell and Redd appeared in "Fresno Uncensored," raising
questions Friday about whether the two shootings were connected to each
other and to the DVD that police say seeks to glamorize the gang
lifestyle.
Though Daniels was at Redd's filming of his "In the No" video at Club
Fred nightclub - and Redd was one of the featured rappers in "Fresno
Uncensored" - it is unknown whether Daniels appeared in the DVD.
Police Chief Jerry Dyer said it was too early to determine whether the
shootings were linked to each other or to the DVD, which has spawned
the arrest of roughly 30 people. Police say both shootings are
gang-related.
According to court documents, Breazell and Daniels were criminal street
gang members, Breazell in Villa Posse and Daniels in the Garrett Street
Boys, and both were facing felony charges in Superior Court.
Friday, police deployed extra motorcycle and horseback patrols to the
Birney campus. The central Fresno school reported dozens of absences
and many families walked their children into class.
Breazell was shot after he went to the school to pick up his son.
Police say a black man between 18 and early 30s was seen confronting
Breazell in the employee's east side parking lot near a sidewalk.
Capt. Dennis Bridges said officers are searching for a small white or
gray four-door car seen leaving the school just after the shooting.
Friday, a woman picking up her 5-year-old granddaughter said she and
about half a dozen parents were standing just yards from the shooting.
Her granddaughter is in the kindergarten session ending at 3 p.m.
The woman said she heard no running or arguing before a "pop, pop"
sound. She looked over, to the edge of the faculty parking lot, and a
man groaned and fell over. Another man, holding a handgun in his right
hand, ran away.
The woman grabbed her niece, who had gone with her to the school, and
ducked behind a pillar. She would not give her name out of fear of
retaliation from gang members.
The school reported 73 of 583 students absent on Friday, which Fresno
Unified spokeswoman Susan Bedi characterized as a significant drop.
Counselors and psychologists spoke with about 10 staff members because
of the incident, along with four entire classes and about 30 other
students, Bedi said.
Counseling will also be available next week.
Yovani and Esmeralda Lopez were among the families that walked their
children to class rather than drop them off.
"I had to take time off from work just to make sure they were safe,"
Yovani Lopez said.
Student Federico Parra, 10, said he felt safe because of all the police
around the school. He said that it was scary after the shooting: "We
had to be under the tables."
Federico was still on campus for an after-school program Thursday when
the shooting occurred. The campus was immediately closed off,
classrooms locked and children instructed to hide under tables.
Fresno Unified Superintendent Michael Hanson left a conference in San
Diego early because of the shooting, Bedi said. He and other
administrators met with the Birney faculty before school Friday to
praise their handling of the lockdown.
The staff sent home a note with students Friday describing briefly what
happened and what the school did to protect students. Police and
district officials will hold a community meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at
the school cafeteria to discuss the shooting.
Some of Breazell's relatives spoke to a reporter Friday in the living
room of the family home.
They declined to give their full names, but said Breazell sometimes
drove to the school to pick up his 5-year-old son.
Breazell's girlfriend, Dniefa, denied that Breazell belonged to a gang
and said he didn't directly ask to be in "Fresno Uncensored."
The footage was a clip from a music video that featured him, she said.
Fresno police Lt. Randy Dobbins said detectives are looking into
whether there is a link between Breazell's homicide and the slaying of
one of his relatives earlier this year outside his family's home in the
2300 block of South Weller Avenue.
On April 7, 25-year-old James "Bo" Matthews III was shot at least twice
while standing outside the home where he lived with his grandmother.
Dyer described Breazell as a "validated gang member." Court documents
show Breazell had a hearing pending in Fresno County Superior Court on
gun charges stemming from a search warrant served at 2364 S. Weller
Ave. on Oct. 27, 2004.
Police were looking for evidence in a deadly gang-related shooting on
Oct. 9, 2004. They found several guns and ammunition.
On Oct. 9, 2004, several gang members opened fire on a group of people
during a front-yard barbecue at a home in the 2300 block of South
Bardell Avenue, police said.
Michael McGhee, 31, was killed and his 34-year-old brother, Anthony
Beard, wounded.
Last March, police arrested Shannon Senegal, Leron Williams and Jernell
Beasley. Senegal, 27, and Williams, 29, are in the Fresno County Jail,
charged with the murder of McGhee and attempted murder of Beard, court
records said. Charges against Beasley have been dismissed.
Court records say Senegal and Williams are gang associates of Breazell.
Breazell was freed on $40,000 bail on the gun charges last November.
Court records also show he had a prior felony conviction for assault
with a deadly weapon in 1990.
The Daniels shooting at Club Fred occurred roughly 14 hours before
Breazell's death.
On Wednesday night, rapper Redd hosted a party and filming for a video
tribute to his hometown.
Redd was one of several rappers featured in "Fresno Uncensored," billed
by promoters as a vehicle to highlight local rappers.
The 90-minute DVD includes pornography and clips of gang members
showing off firearms and drugs, spinning doughnuts in the street and
people cursing police.
Authorities launched an investigation of those featured in the DVD,
which went on sale June 1, and about 30 people have been arrested since
then.
Police say Daniels was shot while as many as 200 people were in the
small nightclub. Bridges said detectives will likely try to find out
whether cameras were rolling when gunfire erupted.
Most of the people fled before police arrived, and police are asking
witnesses to come forward.
The Bee attempted to contact Daniels' family on Friday. A group of six
or more men and women declined to talk and one used profanity in
telling a Bee reporter and photographer to leave.
Daniels, free on $10,000 bail, was scheduled to appear in Fresno County
Superior Court on Monday on a felony charge of possession of marijuana
for sale. He also had a Nov. 7 court date on a separate charge of
possession of marijuana for sale and reckless driving.
Police Capt. Bridges said he has been told by other police officers
that Daniels was in "Fresno Uncensored," but he had not confirmed that
late Friday.
When asked whether he was surprised that both victims might have been
in the video, Bridges said: "Is it the chicken or the egg effect?"
"The video absolutely captured a lot of the gang activity. And
probably, bad things will continue to happen to people who were in the
video because they are living the gang lifestyle."