Photo: Club Fab
A video was posted to Facebook featuring a visibly intoxicated woman insulting Club FAB and its patrons. Commenters to the video retaliated by insulting the woman.
The woman’s daughter’s boyfriend, and father of her grandchild, apparently decided to defend her honor by threatening to open fire in the club.
Under the profile name “MAGA shooter,” 28-year old Jose Isabel Lechuga posted on Facebook that Club Fab should change their name to Pulse, “since you will share the same fate.” Pulse is the LGBTQ Orlando nightclub where 49 people were gunned down and another 53 injured in 2016.
The club reported the threat to police and detectives immediately began investigating “MAGA shooter’s” true identity. The Fresno Police Department worked with the FBI and Facebook to identify Lechuga.
His identity was confirmed when detectives obtained an internet address and email account associated with him. He was taken into custody on 06/14/2019 in Fowler. In his car, Police found a semi-automatic handgun. In his Selma home, police confiscated more weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, all legally owned by Lechuga.
Lechuga confessed he did not intend to carry out the threats. To which Police Chief Jerry Dyer responded during a press conference, “We don’t have a crystal ball to determine whether threats will be carried out.” He added Lechuga had the means to carry out threats, which appeared sincere.
Lechuga was booked into the Fresno County Jail and has since bonded out. It is yet to be determined, in addition to his current charges, if he will face hate crime charges.
