Gunman, woman killed in murder-suicide in Fresno medical office

A gunman entered a pediatric medical office Tuesday in downtown Fresno and fatally shot a woman and then himself, police said.

Authorities described the murder-suicide as a domestic disturbance between the gunman, Neng Moua, and the 34-year-old woman. Moua was the woman’s estranged boyfriend, and there was a history of domestic violence, police said.

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FOR THE RECORD

3:57 p.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly identified the gunman as Moua Neng and listed the woman’s age as 33.

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Moua entered the pediatric office about 10:52 a.m. and shot the woman several times with a shotgun at close range, Fresno police Deputy Chief Pat Farmer said.

There was a brief pause, then as police entered the building, they heard a single shot.

Moua, 43, of Clovis shot and killed himself, he said. Police entered the office and found the pair dead.

“This a tragedy and we are grateful no one else was hurt or killed during this incident,” Farmer said.

The woman was a mother of seven -- five of whom were fathered by Neng. Police notified her children of the deadly shooting.

Kelly Mek, 13, said she saw the gunman enter the office near S and Mariposa streets holding a gun wrapped in fabric. The man, she said, smelled of alcohol.

The girl said he approached the woman at the front counter and said, “Why did you come to my house?” The woman replied, “You need to leave,” the girl recounted.

The gunman then grabbed the woman, pulled her hair and unwrapped the gun, according to the girl, who said she fled the office with her mother and brother.

Police received a call from a 50-year-old woman who said she was locked in an exam room with her three children after hearing the shots.

Downtown Fresno turned into a chaotic scene as police and SWAT team members stormed the office and ordered evacuations for nearby buildings, including a church where a funeral service was being held.

The couple was in the midst of an ongoing custody battle, which was headed to court in May, Farmer said. The woman’s coworkers believe that may have led to Tuesday’s violent attack.

Marcum reported from Fresno and Rocha from Los Angeles.

For news in California, follow @DianaMarcum and @VeronicaRochaLA.