A Fresno man who was killed by Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputies during a standoff near the Belmont Country Club on Dec. 6, is the same person suspected in the shooting death of 44-year-old Amanda Berry, said Assistant Sheriff John Zanoni Thursday.
Zanoni identified the shooter as 32-year-old Dennis Happawana of Fresno.
Detectives tied the two deaths together after finding several connections in the two investigations.
Detectives believe Happawana and Berry’s paths crossed on Nov. 17 after she heard a noise outside of her home on McKinley Avenue, east of Temperance.
What she likely heard, Zanoni said, was Happawana using a portable grinder to damage a cell phone tower that he believed was being used by space aliens to enter into his body.
Zanoni said Happawana’s family members told detectives his mental health had been in severe decline.
As Berry went to investigate the noise, Happawana was able to cut cell service in the area at about midnight. At 12:03 a.m. someone in the neighborhood reported hearing a single gun shot, Zanoni said.
Berry was found dead outside of her home at about 7:15 a.m. Zanoni said a flashlight was found near her body.
“She probably confronted Dennis in the act and he fired a round striking her,” Zanoni said.
Amanda Berry and Dennis Happawana investigations meet
Berry’s killing would remain unsolved until deputies confronted Happawana about two weeks later on Dec. 6 when they responded to a call of shots fired in the area of Belmont and N. Wintergreen Avenues.
When deputies arrived, one of them shined a light on Happawana, who fired his rifle at one of the sheriff’s office vehicles, disabling it, Zanoni said Happawana then fled to his family’s home on Wintergreen Avenue.
While on the property, Happawana used a cordless grinder to pierce a 5-gallon propane tank, causing it to explode, Zanoni said.
More deputies were called to the scene, including the Air Support Unit, SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiation Team.
Happawana’s parents, who were hiding inside their home, were rescued by SWAT as deputies tried to convince him to drop his weapons and give himself up.
At about 5:15 a.m. members of SWAT came face-to-face with Happawana and ordered him to drop his weapons, which included a 12-inch hunting knife and a kitchen knife. SWAT used less-lethal force, a bean bag gun, on him, but he continued coming toward deputies.
Zanoni said the deputies fired their guns, striking Happawana, who died at the scene despite rescue efforts.
During the detective’s search of a shed where he was staying, they found handwritten notes similar to the one found at the cell phone tower: same colored ink, same style of handwriting and same topics, anti-government and space aliens.
Ballistics confirm ghost gun used in Amanda Berry’s killing
Detectives also found a cordless grinder, like the one used to knock out cell phone service, two ghost guns, an AR-10 style rifle and a 9-mm handgun.
Ballistics tests confirmed it was the same handgun used to kill Berry.
Zanoni urged people with mental illness to seek professional help. He mentioned that Happawana was functioning fine until he got into a car accident about 10 years ago while attending the University of California, Riverside.
After the crash, his mental health progressively declined and caused him to be extremely paranoid, Zanoni said .
“We need people who have mental health issues to get the help they need,” he said. “We know that Happawana did not actively seek treatment and his parents could only do so much. We don’t want to get into a situation where someone forces our hand.”
Also concerning to Zanoni, who recently won the election to be Fresno County Sheriff, is the proliferation of illegal guns, known as ghost guns that can be assembled by parts you order on the internet. They don’t have a serial number and are not registered.
Zanoni said Happawana was somehow able to obtain the pieces to assemble a high-powered AR-10 rifle as well as the 9-mm handgun.
“We are still investigating how he got these parts, because both were ghost guns,” he said. “It is a serious problem and we are seeing more and more of it.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2022 1:24 PM.
