Lake County Sheriff's Office
Lake County Sheriff’s Office(LAKE COUNTY, Calif.) — Authorities in Northern California say one of the two men killed in shootings on Monday was the suspect’s father. But the motive behind the shootings remains a mystery, Lake County District Attorney Don Anderson told ABC News.
Here’s what we know about the case:
The shootings
The first call was reported at about 11:23 a.m. local time Monday in Clearlake Oaks, about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.
The suspect, identified as 61-year-old Alan Ashmore, first allegedly fired into several homes in the 13000 block of Anchor Village in Clearlake Oaks, the sheriff’s office said. Two men were fatally shot at separate locations in the same block, and a woman was also shot on the same street, the sheriff’s office said. One of the two men was allegedly the suspect’s father, Anderson said.
Ashmore then allegedly went to a local gas station and shot at a civilian, the sheriff’s office said; the potential victim, who was licensed to carry a weapon, returned fire, hitting the suspect’s car.
Ashmore then allegedly shot at people at another gas station, the sheriff’s office said.
Witnesses reported to authorities the direction the suspect was heading on High Valley Road, the sheriff’s office said, adding that a fire also happened to be reported on that road. The fire is being investigated as arson and authorities are looking into whether Ashmore started the fire, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said a local winery — identified by local media as Brassfield Estate Winery — also reported that the suspect shot at employees there. However, Jason Burry, office manager of the winery, told ABC News that while the suspect came to the winery property, no shots were actually fired there.
The capture
Deputies spotted Ashmore’s car and chased him for several miles, the sheriff’s office said. When Ashmore came upon a police roadblock, he surrendered without incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Several firearms were recovered from the vehicle believed to be the weapons used in the killings, the sheriff’s office said.
The charges
The shootings left two dead and two civilians wounded with non-life-threatening injuries, the sheriff’s office said. A California Highway Patrol officer was also injured after he was hit by gunfire in his body armor; the officer was treated and released.
Ashmore was arrested for two counts of homicide and multiple other counts of assault with a firearm, the sheriff’s office said.
The clerk’s office said Tuesday that a criminal complaint has not yet been filed. Ashmore is expected to be arraigned Wednesday and does not yet have an attorney.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.