Accused Fresno gunman’s arraignment
delayed after courtroom outburst
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[April 22, 2017]
By Tom James
(Reuters) - A man accused of murdering a
motel security guard and gunning down three white men in a racially
motivated Fresno, California shooting spree was ordered to undergo a
psychiatric exam on Friday after entering a courtroom yelling "let black
people go!"
Kori Ali Muhammad, 39, had been scheduled for an initial court
appearance on murder charges stemming from the death of Motel 6 security
guard Carl Williams when the postponed the proceedings, said Steve
Wright of the Fresno County District Attorney's Office.
The judge also ordered Muhammad, who goes by the nickname Black Jesus,
to undergo a mental competency exam by court-appointed physician at the
request of a public defender appointed to represent him, Eric
Christensen.
That doctor was expected to report back to the court on May 12.
The Fresno Bee newspaper reported that Muhammad, who was shackled and
wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit, entered the courtroom shouting: "Let
black people go!" and "reparations!"
Prosecutors say Muhammad was angry over being evicted from his room when
he opened fire on Williams and a second security guard in the parking
lot of the Fresno-area Motel 6 on April 13.
Prosecutors have not yet filed charges against Muhammad in connection
with the shooting rampage, in which he is accused of shooting three
white men in quick succession in downtown Fresno on Tuesday.
Fresno Police spokesman Mark Hudson said the investigation would likely
conclude within days, and that the department would likely deliver its
findings to prosecutors by early next week. Muhammad faces a maximum of
life in prison if convicted of the two charges filed against him on
Thursday in the motel case.
Although Muhammad shouted "Allu Akhbar" as he was taken into custody
following the shooting, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer has said the case
did not appear to be an act of terrorism.
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Kori Ali Muhammad, 39, accused of shooting three people to death on
Tuesday in downtown Fresno, California, U.S., is seen in this Fresno
County Sheriff's Office booking photo released on April 19, 2017.
Courtesy Fresno County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS
"Kori Muhammad is not a terrorist, but he is a racist, and he is
filled with hate, and he set out this week to kill as many people as
he could," Dyer said on Wednesday.
Police say Muhammad opened fire 17 times at about 10:45 a.m. on
Tuesday as he walked and ran along several blocks in Fresno, killing
the three men in less than four minutes. A fourth man was missed by
the bullets.
Fresno is an agricultural hub in California's central valley, about
170 miles (275 km) southeast of San Francisco.
(Reporting by Tom James; Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Marguerita
Choy)
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