Anthony Calderon

Anthony Calderon was a motivated and well-mannered 22-year-old Hispanic man who dreamed of becoming a police officer. His mother, Stephanie Tellez, described him as an “amazing boy” who was inspired and smart. His life was cut short in an ambush on Thanksgiving morning.

In the early hours of November 28, 2024, around 2:00 a.m., Calderon was outside an apartment complex near Fedora Avenue and Pleasant Street in Fresno, California. He was with two friends, a 28-year-old man and a 23-year-old man, smoking a cigarette when a group of individuals approached them. The group suddenly opened fire, unleashing a barrage of more than 50 rounds from at least three different firearms. Calderon was struck in the upper body and died at the scene. His 28-year-old companion was shot in his lower body and rushed to a hospital in critical but stable condition; the 23-year-old man was not injured.

Fresno police arrived to find a chaotic scene, with bullet casings from multiple weapons littering the area. ShotSpotter technology had detected three separate bursts of gunfire totaling more than 47 rounds. Investigators called the attack a "reckless and brutal assault" and an "unprovoked" ambush. The investigation was challenging due to fog on the morning of the shooting and a lack of surveillance footage from the area. Gang enforcement detectives were brought in to help piece together the evidence.

Nearly three months later, in February 2025, Fresno police announced the arrests of four suspects in connection with the homicide. They were identified as 19-year-old Uniese Brown, 19-year-old Christopher Stanley, 20-year-old Demarion Hackett, and an unnamed 16-year-old boy. All four were charged with the murder of Anthony Calderon.

Later that month, the three adult defendants—Brown, Stanley, and Hackett—pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. The case then moved into pre-trial court hearings. During a hearing in late 2025, a crime scene investigator testified about the more than 50 bullet casings found at the scene. A witness who had been with Calderon on the night of the shooting also testified, stating that he had fired back at the attackers. As of December 2025, pre-trial hearings were ongoing as the case proceeded toward a potential jury trial.