Fresno County sheriff’s detectives say a feud could be the motive in the gunshot slaying of a 16-year-old Sunnyside High School student near Fresno Cambodian Buddhist Temple on Saturday afternoon.

The sheriff’s office identified the victim as Nolyn Chann of Clovis.

Deputies administered CPR to Nolyn after finding him wounded at Princeton and Valentine avenues west of Highway 99. He died at a hospital.

A gofundme.com effort organized by his uncle Champa Thong to pay for Nolyn’s burial expenses had raised more than $22,000 before noon on Monday.

“Nolyn was at the temple to celebrate the Cambodian/Thai/Laos New Year when his life was tragically taken. This is so unfair,” said Sarah J. Jones of Fresno in a Facebook post.

Said Blanca A. Hernandez in a gofundme.com post: “Nolyn was both a teammate and friend to me ever since I knew him and knowing about his death was both really sad and frustrating, he’s a good friend.”

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Detectives Believe Shooting Was Gang Related

On Monday, the sheriff’s office said that Chann was the victim of a gang-related shooting.

“Through a preliminary investigation, homicide detectives and members of our Crime Scene Unit have developed information to show this shooting involved Asian gang members,” said sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti in a news release. “This was an isolated incident, not a random shooting.”

During the fatal shooting, the Fresno Cambodian Buddhist Temple was hosting a large celebration.

“The people involved in the shooting were in this area of town to attend the event at the temple. Detectives conducted numerous interviews with guests to try and identify anyone connected to the shooting,” Botti said.

Anyone with information about Chann or his killing is asked to contact sheriff’s detective Aurelio Flores at (559) 600-8208.  You may also contact Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867 or www.valleycrimestoppers.org You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.  The case number is 23-4348.

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