On the night of February 19, 2023, a tragic incident unfolded at "The O" Hookah Lounge, located at the intersection of Milburn and Herndon Avenues in northwest Fresno, California. During a private event attended by approximately 30 to 50 individuals, an altercation occurred outside the establishment between 41-year-old Felix Marcus Sterling Hawkins and 32-year-old Akili Moffett.
The confrontation escalated when one or more individuals produced a firearm, resulting in both men being fatally shot.
Felix Hawkins, the son of former Fresno City Councilmember Cynthia Sterling, was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Moffett sustained a single gunshot wound to the chest and was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The incident marked the fourth and fifth intentional homicides in Fresno for the year 2023.
In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials faced challenges in identifying suspects or determining a clear motive for the shooting. Investigators collected multiple shell casings from the scene but did not recover any firearms. Efforts were made to obtain surveillance footage from the shopping center and nearby businesses to piece together the events leading up to the shooting.
Despite these investigative efforts, as of December 26, 2024, no arrests have been reported in connection with the deaths of Hawkins and Moffett. The Fresno Police Department continues to seek assistance from the public, urging anyone with information to come forward to aid in resolving this case.
