Crime
Cassie Michael and Byron Rangel arrested for shooting that killed 18-year-old Caleb Quick
CLOVIS, Calif. — One day after two teenagers were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Caleb Quick, Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming is scheduled to provide a public update on the case Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
The arrests stem from a shooting that occurred on the night of April 23 outside a McDonald’s restaurant located at Willow and Nees Avenues.
Surveillance footage captured a suspect dressed in black following Caleb Quick for approximately 13 minutes before fatally shooting him outside the business.
Following the incident, the investigation stalled for more than a week.
However, progress was made when Clovis Police released surveillance images of a white Tesla believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle.
A teenage girl seen in connection with the vehicle was initially detained but later released.
On Friday, developments accelerated. Clovis Police arrested two 16-year-olds, identified as Cassie Michael and Byron Rangel, in connection with the homicide, Channel2 NOW has learned.
Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming did confirm that both suspects were facing homicide charges and were booked on suspicion of Penal Code 187.
Both suspects also attended Clovis Unified schools at the time of the shooting.
According to authorities, investigators had been closing in on the suspects and planned coordinated arrests.
The female suspect, represented by a private defense attorney, voluntarily surrendered to police.
She was at the attorney’s office in downtown Fresno when they arranged her transport to Clovis Police Headquarters.
Shortly after, the male suspect also surrendered, turning himself in around 3:30 p.m.
Chief Fleming is expected to provide additional details and address community concerns at the scheduled press briefing.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.