The State - News from June 1, 1988

A Fresno police lieutenant said he doubts gunfire that wounded three Fresno youths was related to notorious Los Angeles gangs, even though both sides had “colors” favored by such groups. The three teen-agers were shot at a playground outside Manchester Gate School in northeast Fresno. Kefer McCoy and Darron Pharr, both 18, and an unidentified 17-year-old, all high school seniors, were hospitalized in stable condition. Police arrested a 15-year-old for investigation of attempted murder and another teen-ager suspected of being an accomplice. The arrested youths carried red neckerchiefs, and the wounded wore blue jackets, colors symbolic of rival Los Angeles gangs. But even though the name of one gang, Crips, was scrawled on a nearby fence, Lt. John Fries felt these groups are trying to copy the Los Angeles gangs. “We have an indication there are people trying to mimic activity in larger cities,” Fries said.