FRESNO, Calif. — An off-duty ICE agent shot early Friday morning in Fresno is now in custody on suspicion of assault charges after police say he drunkenly attacked a 72-year-old homeowner who had simply asked him to leave the family’s property. The shooting happened at about 3:20 a.m. on Oct. 9, after a woman returning home found 32-year-old ICE agent David Gonzalez of Texas asleep on the family’s front lawn near North Broadway Street and East Dudley Avenue, according to the Fresno Police Department account reported by USA Today.
TL;DR: Off-duty ICE agent David Gonzalez, 32, was shot by a 72-year-old Fresno homeowner after allegedly attacking the man and his daughter at 3:20 a.m. on Oct. 9. The daughter’s boyfriend — an off-duty police officer — handcuffed Gonzalez. The homeowner, who used a legally owned firearm in self-defense, is not being charged; Gonzalez was treated at a hospital and then taken into custody on suspicion of assault.
Asleep on the lawn, then violent
Police say the night began quietly enough: a woman came home in the early morning hours and noticed a stranger — Gonzalez — sleeping on the family’s front lawn. She called her 72-year-old father, who went outside to wake him.
Instead of leaving, Gonzalez “appeared intoxicated and agitated,” according to police. He then struck the 72-year-old man and forced him to the ground. When the homeowner’s daughter tried to intervene, Gonzalez turned on her and attacked her too, forcing her to the ground, police said.
A homeowner’s single shot
Fearing for his and his daughter’s safety, the homeowner grabbed his firearm and fired a single shot, striking Gonzalez. Fresno police began receiving reports of a possible shooting near North Broadway Street and East Dudley Avenue and arrived to find the situation already under control: the daughter’s boyfriend, who is an off-duty police officer, had placed handcuffs on Gonzalez.
Emergency medical personnel transported Gonzalez to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries before being taken into custody by the Fresno Police Department on suspicion of assault charges.
The homeowner is not being charged
Upon further investigation, police determined that the firearm used in the shooting was legally owned by the 72-year-old homeowner, and he is not being charged in connection with the shooting of Gonzalez. The case appears to fall squarely within California’s self-defense protections: a homeowner confronting a violent intruder on his own property who protects himself and his family.
Police have not determined how long Gonzalez had been asleep on the lawn or how he got there, but they believe he was alone at the time of the shooting.
City councilman denounces ICE presence
Fresno Councilman Miguel Arias denounced the shooting and called for federal ICE agents to be removed from the city. “As many of us have warned, the terrorizing tactics of Trump’s ICE were bound to lead to someone getting hurt,” Arias said in a statement. He added that ICE’s “aggressive tactics and the conduct of its officers on and off duty pose a serious threat to the safety of our city and its residents,” and questioned federal screening practices and the psychological fitness of agents sent on out-of-state deployments.
The incident came a day after a federal immigration agent shot a man in New York City’s Marble Hill neighborhood on Oct. 8, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a backdrop that has intensified scrutiny of federal agents’ conduct.
Investigation continues
The Fresno Police Department is still investigating the shooting as of Friday, according to a press release. Gonzalez remains in custody on suspicion of assault charges, and further details about formal charges are expected as the investigation unfolds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is David Gonzalez?
David Gonzalez, 32, is an off-duty U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from Texas. He was shot in Fresno on Oct. 9, 2026, after allegedly attacking a homeowner and his daughter.
What exactly happened in Fresno on Oct. 9?
At about 3:20 a.m., a woman found Gonzalez sleeping on her family’s front lawn. When her 72-year-old father tried to wake him, Gonzalez — described by police as intoxicated and agitated — struck the man, forced him to the ground, and then attacked the daughter. The homeowner fired one shot from a legally owned firearm.
Why is the homeowner not being charged?
Fresno police determined the firearm was legally owned and the shooting was in self-defense: the homeowner fired after Gonzalez attacked him and his daughter on their own property. He faces no charges.
Who handcuffed the ICE agent?
The daughter’s boyfriend, who is an off-duty police officer, placed handcuffs on Gonzalez. Responding Fresno officers found him already detained when they arrived near North Broadway Street and East Dudley Avenue.
Was Gonzalez on duty at the time?
No. Police describe him as an off-duty agent, and they believe he was alone on the homeowner’s lawn. How long he had been there has not been determined.
What did the Fresno councilman say?
Councilman Miguel Arias denounced the shooting, called for ICE agents to be removed from Fresno, and said the presence of off-duty officers ‘out drinking in the very neighborhoods where residents have been subjected to fear and intimidation was a recipe for disaster.’
Is the investigation over?
No. The Fresno Police Department said it was still investigating the shooting as of Friday, Oct. 9. Gonzalez was treated at a hospital and then taken into custody on suspicion of assault charges.
What charges could Gonzalez face?
He is in custody on suspicion of assault charges. Formal charges will be determined by prosecutors as the investigation continues. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Featured image: Fresno, California (Fresno Business Council) (source).
