Police said the 72-year-old homeowner legally possessed the gun and will not face criminal charges in the early morning shooting.
FRESNO, CA — An off-duty U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was shot and taken into custody Friday after police said he assaulted a 72-year-old man and the man’s daughter outside their Fresno home.
Fresno police identified the agent as David Gonzalez, 32, of Texas. Officers responding to several reports of a gunshot at about 3:19 a.m. near East Dudley Avenue and North Broadway Street found Gonzalez in handcuffs with a gunshot wound to his midsection, according to police. Investigators said Gonzalez had been off duty and alone before the confrontation. Police said he was later taken to a hospital and placed in custody on suspicion of felony assault.
The confrontation began after a woman returned home and found Gonzalez sleeping on her front lawn, police said. She alerted her 72-year-old father, who lived at the home with her. The father went outside intending to get Gonzalez to leave the property. When Gonzalez woke up, police said, he appeared intoxicated and agitated and allegedly began physically attacking the older man.
Police said the assault forced the 72-year-old man to the ground and left him with several visible injuries. When his daughter stepped in to help him, Gonzalez allegedly attacked her as well, causing her to fall to the ground. Investigators said the father then produced a firearm and fired one shot at Gonzalez because he feared for his own safety and his daughter’s safety.
The father legally possessed the firearm, police said. Based on evidence gathered during the initial investigation, authorities said he was not facing criminal charges for shooting Gonzalez. Police have not publicly identified the father or his daughter. Their injuries were being evaluated after the confrontation, according to authorities.
Shortly after the shooting, the woman contacted her boyfriend, who is an off-duty police officer, authorities said. He arrived at the home and placed Gonzalez in handcuffs. Fresno officers responding to the reported gunshot then found Gonzalez restrained and wounded. Authorities have not publicly identified the off-duty officer or specified which law enforcement agency employs him.
Gonzalez was hospitalized for treatment after being shot. Local television station KFSN reported Friday evening that he was in serious condition. Fresno police said he remained in custody on felony assault allegations. Authorities had not announced formal court charges beyond describing the assault case as a felony matter, and it was not immediately clear whether Gonzalez had retained an attorney.
Police said they had confirmed Gonzalez was an ICE agent from Texas but had not determined why he was in the Fresno neighborhood early Friday. Investigators said he was not working at the time and was alone. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson declined to comment to the Los Angeles Times and referred questions about the incident to Fresno police.
The shooting occurred during a period of stepped-up federal immigration enforcement in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Local officials and news organizations had reported increased ICE activity in Fresno and neighboring communities during the week. Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias, whose district includes the area of the shooting, criticized the federal operation and called for greater accountability for agents deployed from outside the region. Other city officials also called for federal authorities to review ongoing enforcement activity in the Central Valley.
Those broader disputes remain separate from the criminal investigation into Friday’s confrontation. Police have described Gonzalez as the assault suspect and the 72-year-old man as a victim who fired in response to the attack. The allegations against Gonzalez have not been proven in court, and authorities have not released evidence establishing why he was at the residence before the encounter.
Fresno police said the investigation remains open and detectives are seeking additional witnesses or video from the area. No charges had been announced against the 72-year-old man as of Friday evening, while Gonzalez remained in custody as authorities continued investigating the alleged assaults and the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Author note: Last updated October 9, 2026.