Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Muhammad Gets Life in Prison for Fresno Race-Related Killings
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
June 8, 2020

Share

Kori Ali Muhammad’s sentence comes three years after he said he was fed up with racism against black people and shot several people, killing four white men.
He was convicted by a Fresno County jury in April of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, attempted murder and other crimes, the Fresno County district attorney’s office said.
He withdrew a previous plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, and prosecutors said they wouldn’t seek the death penalty.

Rampage Occurred in April 2017

Muhammad, a black man whose defense said he was mentally ill, was accused of a series of shooting attacks on white men in April 2017.
In a recorded confession to investigators that was played at his trial, Muhammad said he shot Motel 6 security guard Carl Williams III and tried to kill another guard on April 13 because he felt he had been disrespected when he went to visit a friend.
A security camera recording showed Muhammad coming up behind Williams, 25, and shooting him.

Muhammad: ‘Fed up With Racism”

“It starts taking its toll on you, and you get fed up with the racism,” Muhammad said. “You get tired of letting things slide.”
While on the run after the shooting, Muhammad learned that he was wanted for Williams’ killing. On the recording, Muhammad said that if he was “going down for murder” the best thing was to “kill as many white men” as he could.
On April 18, 2017, Muhammad drove through downtown shooting at white men, he said. He surrendered to police after, at one point, firing nearly 20 shots in less than a minute, authorities said.

PG&E Worker Killed in His Truck

Zachary Randalls, 34, was shot in a Pacific Gas & Electric truck.
“When I walked up to the truck, I saw a Mexican driver and a white guy,” Muhammad said. “I didn’t want to target the driver because he was Mexican so I shot the white dude.”
He also was convicted of killing Mark Gassett, 37, and David Jackson, 58, and trying to shoot three other men.
Muhammad was convicted of first-degree murder for Jackson’s slaying; second-degree murder for Williams, Randalls and Gassett; four counts of attempted murder; one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle; and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Not Quite ‘Hunger Games,’ but Fresno Budget Hearings Start

Wall Street Opens Mixed as Investors Await Trade Negotiations

39 minutes ago

Harvey Weinstein’s Sexual Assault Trial to Conclude With Closing Arguments

41 minutes ago

Dutch Government Collapses After Far-Right Leader Wilders Quits Coalition

THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced his resignation on Tuesday, most likely ushering in a snap election, ...

3 minutes ago

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders speaks to the media following his decision to leave the governing coalition, in The Hague, Netherlands, June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
3 minutes ago

Dutch Government Collapses After Far-Right Leader Wilders Quits Coalition

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Gaza City, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
18 minutes ago

Gaza Ministry Says Israel Kills More Than 30 Aid Seekers, Israel Denies

Photo of climate activist Greta Thunberg
37 minutes ago

Nonprofit Ship Sets Sail for Gaza After Drone Attack Setback

A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo
39 minutes ago

Wall Street Opens Mixed as Investors Await Trade Negotiations

Harvey Weinstein appears for his retrial at the Manhattan criminal court, New York, U.S., May 30 2025. Yuki Iwamura/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
41 minutes ago

Harvey Weinstein’s Sexual Assault Trial to Conclude With Closing Arguments

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the annual ceremony at the eve of Israel’s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers (Yom HaZikaron) at the Yad LaBanim Memorial in Jerusalem, 29 April 2025. (ABIR SULTAN POOL/Pool via REUTERS)
44 minutes ago

Israel Blocks Ramallah Meeting With Arab Ministers, Israeli Official Says

Photo of caution tape
16 hours ago

‘King of the Hill’ Voice Actor Jonathan Joss Fatally Shot Outside His Texas Home

Fresno County fire crews are battling a wildland blaze in Yokuts Valley near Rector Lane, where the RECTOR incident has burned 10 acres with the potential to spread to 100 on Monday, June 2, 2025. (CalFire)
16 hours ago

Fresno County Crews Battle Active Wildfire in Yokuts Valley, Evacuation Warning Issued

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend