Police: Building shot in drive-by

At least 15 shots riddled the Mark Carpenter Plumbing building at Fifth and Sycamore streets in a drive-by shooting, according to a police report released Monday.

The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m. March 21. Police said there are no suspects or arrests, however authorities are looking for a “dark colored SUV” with tinted windows.

Witnesses told investigators approximately 15 shots were fired. Investigators found 19 spent bullet casings at the scene, according to reports.

“The ammunition came from either an AK-47 or an SKS,” Clovis Police Capt. Patrick Whitney said.

According to police reports, damages include broken glass window panels; a broken glass door; bullet holes in an interior wall, an interior aluminum door and a decorative aluminum wall and damages to computer screens and a hallway printer.

Brian Carpenter, vice president of Mark Carpenter Plumbing, declined to comment.

Investigators are first looking at a list of Carpenter's employees who have either “quit or been terminated,” from Mark Carpenter Plumbing, Whitney said.

“The first questions are going to be questions regarding anyone that's been let go recently or any upset customers,” Whitney said.

According to police reports, the list contains 29 different names of individuals who have either quit or were let go for various reasons.

Investigators have also received a list of five vehicles that match the vehicle on the surveillance video, according to police reports.

According to police reports, an officer was patrolling on Seventh Street when he heard five gunshots.

Police said a witness told the officer he saw a dark colored SUV heading east through the intersection of Fifth and Sycamore streets after firing shots at the Carpenter building. The witness said shots were fired from the passenger side, and that windows were too dark to see anyone inside.

Police said surveillance video provided by Carpenter showed a vehicle traveled east on Fifth and continued until it reached the next intersection. The vehicle then turned around, the police report said, and “slowly pulled to the south side of the road and stopped by the stop sign.”

“The video is kind of dark,” an investigator’s report said. “After several seconds, I was able to see what I recognized … to be ... flashes from a weapon. The shooter stops shooting as (another vehicle) approached the intersection.”

The suspect vehicle then drove off “at a high rate of speed,” toward Norris Street, according to report.

Officers pulled over a vehicle that matched the description shortly after the incident, according to the report. It was determined not to be the one responsible for the shooting and officers then released the vehicle.