Jerel Stanfield was in a Fresno courtroom on Thursday.
Stanfield is recovering from injuries suffered when he was shot by Fresno police, just 12 hours after officers say he murdered a rival gang member in a separate incident.
Following his arrest, gang members said they would retaliate against Fresno police, which led to a major crackdown on gangs.
Police say Stanfield is a suspect in several other shootings.
Stanfield is still recovering from being shot and is not able to communicate fully but was able to give the judge a thumbs up to indicate he wanted to enter a not guilty plea.