Five killed, 10 hospitalized in Rancho Tehama shooting CA.

UPDATE: Five killed, 10 hospitalized in Rancho Tehama shooting

Jim Schultz, Record Searchlight Published 8:33 a.m. PT Nov. 14, 2017 | Updated 12:23 p.m. PT Nov. 14, 2017

Undersheriff Phil Johnston of the Tehama County Sheriff's Office gives an update to the media about the Rancho Tehama shooting on Nov. 14, 2017.

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(Photo: Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight)


Five people have been killed — including the shooter — in a mass shooting about 15 miles southwest of Red Bluff that also hospitalized at least 10 people, including children.

Tehama County Undersheriff Phil Johnston said the victim toll may rise. He confirmed two children were also shot and wounded, and the shootings happened at seven or more different spots.

"It's a very sad day for us in Tehama County," said a deputy, who was visibly shaken.

Ten shooting victims were taken to various hospitals around the North State: Three to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, two to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff and five to Enloe Medical Center in Chico, employees at those hospitals said.

It was not immediately clear whether more victims had been hospitalized.

It all started shortly after 8 a.m. when a lone shooter opened fire at several locations with a rifle and two handguns, a deputy at the scene said.

There were at least 100 law enforcement officers at the scene, he said. The FBI also "is sending some teams up to assist at the request of Tehama County authorities," said Jason Wandel, chief division counsel at the FBI's Sacramento field office.

"Multiple shots were fired in Rancho Tehama. That evolved into multiple victims and multiple shots at the school," the deputy said. "I am told the suspected shooter is deceased from law enforcement bullets."

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/d6e...oting-baby.jpgBuy Photo Casey Burnett, a resident of Rancho Tehama, holds her baby near a roadblock into the community on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. Burnett said she saw the gunman driving around the community near Red Bluff, California, shooting randomly from his car. (Photo: Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight)


Children among the gunshot victims

The deputy said he had no information on victims at the school, but that deputies had escorted a busload of children from the school to the Rancho Tehama Association.

Rosie DeOliveira, administrative assistant at the association, said that deputies have instructed the community to "shelter in place," stay indoors and stay low.

"Our doors are locked," she said.

An official at the Corning Elementary School District confirmed the elementary school in Rancho Tehama is on lockdown. The nearby Rancho Tehama Airport is also on lockdown.

No one answered the phone at the elementary school, and an official speaking for Rich DuVarney, Tehama County superintendent of schools, said he was trying to find out what was happening.

It isn't the first time the school had a gun scare.

In December 2015, a then-43-year-old woman was arrested after a school employee called law enforcement because she allegedly was walking around with a sawed-off shotgun. The woman also was arrested, in part, because deputies said they found a stolen pickup in her yard.

A helicopter medical crew reported they were transporting a 6-year-old victim to Mercy Medical Center in Redding. The child had two gunshot wounds, according to emergency scanner traffic.

A second child also was reported to have been shot in the right leg, according to emergency dispatch reports.

A 30-year-old man was also being taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the right thigh, according to emergency dispatch reports.

The scene described

It's still unclear what the shooter's motive was.

Initial reports said somebody was barricaded in a structure and there were multiple victims, including one who was dead.

Rancho Tehama resident Salvador Tello said he was taking his three children to school when the gunman fired at a truck in front of him.

He said he saw bullets hit the truck in front of him, so he made his children get down and put his truck in reverse.

Tello said that, as he left, he saw a woman lying dead in the street with her husband next to her, apparently wounded.

Jose Garcia, who owns the La Fortuna Market, about a half-mile from the school, also said he heard "a lot of shooting" near the school shortly after 8 a.m.

Living next to alleged gunman was 'hell'

The Rancho Tehama Reserve — a subdivision home to about 1,485 people — is described on its website as a “quiet private country community” located 12 miles west of Interstate 5 between Red Bluff and Corning. The community is a place “where people are friendly and the pace is relaxed," the website reads.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it was 86.3 percent white in 2010 and had a poverty rate of 43 percent.

Resident Brian Flint said he got a call in the morning that his roommate was injured and that his truck had been stolen. It turned out his neighbor was the gunman, Flint said.

“The crazy thing is that the neighbor has been shooting a lot of bullets lately, hundreds of rounds, large magazines,” Flint said.

“We made it aware that this guy is crazy and he’s been threatening us.”

Living near the gunman was "hell," Flint said, and the man was a known felon who often harassed him and his neighbors.

Katrina Gierman, who lives near the elementary school, said she heard gunshots when she went outside.

"I have not left my house because I am with my newborn son," Gierman said. "Very scary moment."

"I have the right to bear arms, and I will protect my son if I have to," she said.

Politicians react to 'senseless violence'

Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement on his website that he was "saddened to hear about today’s violence in Tehama County, which shockingly involved schoolchildren."

"We offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones and unite with all Californians in grief," the statement reads.

California Senator Jim Nielsen, who oversees the area of the shooting, said in a statement that his "heart goes out to the victims and loved ones affected by Tuesday morning’s horrific shooting in Rancho Tehama," calling the incident "senseless violence."

“We ... will be praying for the speedy recovery of those injured and for the emotional peace for those affected," the statement reads. “We lift up in prayer those killed and wounded, their families and loved ones, and the first responders and others who put their lives on the line to protect and save innocent lives.”

Former California Attorney General and current U.S. Senator Kamala Harris also weighed in, saying on Twitter that she was "heartbroken" about the shooting and "closely monitoring the situation."

"Grateful to the officers and first responders on the scene," she tweeted.

Record Searchlight reporters are at the scene.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/lo...ama/862125001/

Who is the shooter? I read it 3 times and couldn't find the name of the shooter. Did I miss it or is it not in the story? Locals who were interviewed seem to know who it is. If you see it, let me know. Thanks!!

They are being super tight lipped about the identity and possible motivations of the shooter!

Yeah, I couldn't find the name or background in the article. Very strange. Either an illegal alien or a terrorist, more than likely.

The sheriff said they are trying to notify the next of kin before releasing his name.

. . . Brian Flint told Record Searchlight newspaper after the incident that his neighbor was the gunman in Tuesday’s deadly shooting.
"The crazy thing is that the neighbor has been shooting a lot of bullets lately, hundreds of rounds, large magazines," Flint said. "We made it aware that this guy is crazy and he's been threatening us." . . .

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/14...ry-school.html

It's still unclear what the shooter's motive was, but officials at the press conference said there was a history of neighborhood issues with him.
The identity of the shooter is not yet known, but Johnston said the suspect was involved in a domestic-violence situation Monday and, a few months earlier, a stabbing. . .

Record Searchlight newspaper

Johnston said police did not immediately know what may have motivated the attack, which stretched across at least seven locations. Officials believe they have identified the shooter, though they were working to confirm the man’s name, Johnston said.
The gunman, who was previously known to law enforcement, did not appear to have any “real connection to any of the victims,” Johnston said.
While details about what led up to the gunfire remained unclear, Johnston said authorities were told by neighbors that “there was a domestic violence incident” involving the suspected attacker. He later said police were aware of reports that the domestic violence incident happened a day before the shootings.
Johnston also said there appeared to be an ongoing neighborhood dispute involving the attacker, who had a residence in Rancho Tehama. . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/11/14/officials-say-at-least-3-dead-after-shooting-at-multiple-scenes-including-california-elementary-school/?utm_term=.4e7e7bed37c5

Late Tuesday, Tehama County District Attorney's Office confirmed that Kevin Janson Neal, 43, was identified as the suspected gunman.

https://heavyeditorial.files.wordpre...trip=all&w=302

Mugshot

Kevin Janson Neal.

Kevin Janson Neal: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

By Jessica McBride
Updated Nov 14, 2017 at 8:38pm
Published Nov 14, 2017 at 7:35pm

https://heavyeditorial.files.wordpre...trip=all&w=302

Mugshot

Kevin Janson Neal.

Kevin Janson Neal was identified as the shooter who went on a rampage throughout Rancho Tehama, shooting bullets through classroom windows at the local elementary school and randomly targeting four people for death, while wounding as many as 10 others, including children.

The gunman, who wielded a a semi-automatic rifle and two handguns during the carnage, was killed by police at the scene, bringing the death toll to five. No children were among the dead, but at least two children were shot, both boys, one in the school and one in a truck who was on his way to school, sheriff’s officials said. A woman in the truck with the second boy, his mother, was also shot and has life-threatening injuries, officials said, although the boy does not.

According to the Sacramento Bee, “The Tehama County District’s Attorney’s Office confirmed that Kevin Janson Neal, 43, was the shooter.” The Bee reported that Neal sometimes used the last name Smith. The shooting spree unfolded in multiple locations in the small, rural northern California community on November 14, starting near Neal’s home. The elementary school was on lockdown after the mass shooting that encompassed seven scenes with multiple victims and ended up at the school. Distraught parents were waiting for information on their children.

Witnesses described children screaming at the school as bullets were shot into classrooms through outside windows.

Neal tried to get inside the school but a quick lockdown stopped him; “Officials say the gunman was wearing a load bearing vest — similar to what soldiers wear to carry their ammo,” reports CBS News.

View image on Twitterhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOoa_NkX4AEm3yG.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...Kq_normal.jpegJim Schultz @JimSchultz_RS

Photo of neighborhood where it all started.
4:02 PM - Nov 14, 2017

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Here’s what you need to know:

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1. Neal Was Being Prosecuted for an Earlier Stabbing & Was Out on Bail

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A previous mugshot of Kevin Janson Neal.

Neal was already in trouble with the law before the shooting rampage. District Attorney Gregg Cohen told

The Sacramento Bee that “Neal was currently being prosecuted by his office for assault with a deadly weapon and a stabbing that had occurred earlier this year,” the newspaper reported.

A Red Bluff Daily News crime log from February 2017 reported: “Kevin Janson Neal: 43, of Corning was arrested Tuesday in the 6900 block of Bobcat Lane in Rancho Tehama. He was booked into Tehama County Jail on the charges of assault with deadly weapon not firearm or force, great bodily injury likely, battery on person, crime against elder or dependent adult, discharge firearm with gross negligence and false imprisonment with violence. Bail was $160,000.”

The District Attorney told the Bee that the rampage started by Neal’s home, although he wasn’t yet sure of the motive, and he said that the previous incident involved two of Neal’s neighbors, although it’s not known whether they were among the victims.

View image on Twitterhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOnbvRiXcAYODSF.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...XuA_normal.jpgSara Stinson @SaraStinsonNews

Confirmed there are 5 people dead. Ages unconfirmed. There are 7 different crimes scenes spread across Rancho Tehama. Multiple people injured including 2 children.
11:23 AM - Nov 14, 2017

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A 6-year-old was among those injured, according to 850 WFTL. “Jeanine Quist, an administrative assistant with the Corning Union Elementary School District, said no one was killed at the school but a ‘number’ of students were shot and wounded,” Fox News reported.

However, it was later confirmed that no students had died in the rampage.

The Record Searchlight also reported: “A helicopter medical crew reported they were transporting a 6-year-old victim to Mercy Medical Center in Redding. The child had two gunshot wounds, according to emergency scanner traffic. A second child also was reported to have been shot in the right leg, according to emergency dispatch reports. A 30-year-old man was also being taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the right thigh, according to emergency dispatch reports.”

Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said in an early brief news conference that a call came in of multiple shots fired. “That evolved into multiple victims and multiple shots at the elementary school. I am told at this point that the suspected shooter is deceased from law enforcement bullets.” He added, “I know that we have medevaced (airlifted) a number of students. I know the school has been cleared. I know that we have the children who were attending school in a safe location at this time. You now know really what I know.”

However, later reports came in that four were dead, and the school was just one piece of a complex series of crime scenes.

In a later update, Johnston grew emotional, saying, “Listen, people died here today, folks. This is a very tragic event for all of us. There are children involved. It’s an emotional thing.”

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2. A Witness Reported That the Gunman, Wearing Camouflage, Fired Through Classroom Windows

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...8Uj_normal.jpgThe Lue Crew @TheLueCrew

Multiple students shot at Rancho Tehama School in Tehama County http://www.fox29.com/news/3-shot-at-rancho-tehama-school-in-tehama-county …
11:22 AM - Nov 14, 2017
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Multiple students shot at Rancho Tehama School in Tehama County

According to KCRA, three people were shot in Tehama County.
fox29.com

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Horrifically, one eyewitness described witnessing the gunman fire bullets through classroom windows, injuring children. KRCR-TV initially reported that there might be two gunmen in the immediate chaos of the shooting aftermath, but sheriff’s officials later confirmed that Neal acted alone.

The television station described how a witness had given a “chilling account,” adding that the witness described how the shooter fired bullets through classroom windows: “(The witness) said the series of shots came through the classroom windows, hitting one student…a young boy was shot in the foot and the chest. He said the child was alert and talking. He said another student in an adjacent classroom was shot under the arm. That child was also conscious.” The television station added that the gunman was described as being in his 30’s-40’s “dressed in green cammo.” In past mass shootings, eyewitness accounts of more than one shooter have often proven to be wrong.

Sheriff’s officials confirmed that Neal fired into the school from the outside of it. “The shooter targeted the school from outside the school and shot inside the school with multiple rounds,” Johnston said to the news media.

Authorities say that the rampage may have ignited with a domestic violence situation, although they haven’t detailed it. Assistant Sheriff for Tehama County Phil Johnston later said that authorities had “received reports about a domestic violence incident that involved the suspected shooter.” The FBI was assisting at the scene.

Another witness, a parent named Salvador Tello, was taking his children to the elementary school “when the gunman fired at a truck in front of him. He said he saw bullets hit the truck in front of him, so he made his children get down and put his truck in reverse,” the Record Searchlight reported. Sheriff’s officials said that the school may have saved lives by quickly going into lockdown, but the shooter than randomly targeted other people.

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3. The Shooter Randomly Targeted People & Stole Cars During the Rampage

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https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...XuA_normal.jpgSara Stinson @SaraStinsonNews

BREAKING: At least 3 dead in shooting in Tehama Co. it started at a home and moved to the school. Shooter shot and killed by police.
9:29 AM - Nov 14, 2017

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Although the school shooting received a lot of the attention, equally horrific was the rampage that occurred before it, as Kevin Janson Neal drove through town, picking people randomly to shoot, according to authorities. A sheriff’s official, Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston, said that Neal “stole a white pickup and drove it through town, doing ‘several random drive-by shootings of residences’ in the community of about 1,500 people west of Corning,” reported the Sacramento Bee. “We know of no real connection to any of the victims,” Johnston said. “Most of the victims in this case appear to be random selections.”

According to CBS, “The gunman crashed a pickup struck, stole another car and then started shooting.”

The sheriff’s official, speaking just after noon on November 14, as news of the mass shooting broke, said about 100 law enforcement personnel were in Rancho Tehama with multiple scenes. “I can think of at least five scenes I have been told about. We are spread thin… we are still requesting ambulances,” the official said.

According to the Searchlight Record, “The rampage all started shortly after 8 a.m. near Bobcat and Fawn lanes, where the gunman reportedly stole two different vehicles. It ended in a shootout with two sheriff’s deputies. The deputies, who weren’t injured, found the gunman dead inside a car, and they also found the semiautomatic rifle and two handguns they say he used.”

According to reporter Sara Stinson, writing on Twitter, Assistant Sheriff Johnston says he ran into the woman in this truck who was attempting to drive herself to the hospital, but he got her and her injured child help as she was severely injured. She did tell Johnston that she saw the shooter and did not know him at all.”

Stinson reported that sheriff’s officials say the number of victims still might increase “as they are still investigating and looking for more victims as this is an extremely rural area.”

The rampage included a carjacking. At one point, “the shooter crashed that truck and carjacked a driver for his small sedan. The suspect drove away in the car, and at some point, drove past a woman taking her children to school and fired gunshots ‘without provocation’ into their truck,” KCRA quoted Johnston as saying.

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4. Neal Was Threatening Neighbors & Shooting Guns Recently, a Witness Said

https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_t...DSHynMHvYD.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...XuA_normal.jpgSara Stinson @SaraStinsonNews

Here is part of an interview with the man who says his truck was stolen and his roommate was shot and killed by the alleged shooter who is described as a known felon in his 50's named Kevin. #RanchoTehamashooting
10:21 AM - Nov 14, 2017

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Neal’s neighbor told the news media early on that his roommate was shot and that the gunman was a felon named Kevin. The witness, Brian Flint, “said he received a call in the morning that his roommate was injured and that his truck had been stolen too,” reported The Record Searchlight, quoting him as saying, “The crazy thing is that the neighbor has been shooting a lot of bullets lately, hundreds of rounds, large magazines. We made it aware that this guy is crazy and he’s been threatening us.”

Flint described living near Neal as “hell.” He said, “I just feel like maybe there should have been more effort putting in to potentially stopping things like this.”

Harry Garcia, manager of La Fortuna Market, told local reporter Jim Schultzthat “one of his regular customers was killed in shooting. “He came in here all the time. He was a nice man. He treated everyone with respect.” The victims ages and names have not yet been released.

https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_t...BRJs09Wd3n.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...XuA_normal.jpgSara Stinson @SaraStinsonNews

Tehama County Assistant Sheriff confirms 5 dead and 10 injured (2 children). The shooter was shot and killed by police. There are 7 different crime scenes including 1 at the Rancho Tehama Elementary School. The Assistant Sheriff says right now there is no known motive.
1:47 PM - Nov 14, 2017

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Kelli Saam of KRCR News Channel 7 “spoke with a witness who works near where the shooting took place in Rancho Tehama” and said “We heard multiple shots, starting with about 10, and proceeding to about 90 shots, of a high powered some kind of rifle sounding.

We heard a man and children screaming from my location, I’m about three blocks from the school, I could hear people screaming at the school.”

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5. Parents Waited Frantically for News of Their Children & One Woman Described Rancho Tehama as a ‘Family Town’

View image on Twitterhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOnEvSgW4AAKIa8.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...XuA_normal.jpgSara Stinson @SaraStinsonNews

Rancho Tehama Road completely blocked off by crime tape.
9:42 AM - Nov 14, 2017 · California, USA

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Stinson, the reporter with Action News Now, reported that the road was blocked off with crime scene tape. It all made for an awful morning for many parents who had to wait to learn whether their children were OK.

“Parents are in distress stuck behind road block not knowing the status of their kids at school in Rancho Tehama where the shooter ended up,” she wrote. One witness said 90-100 shots were fired. The first shooting scene was at a nearby home.

“An employee with the Corning Unified School District said there were reports of an active shooter at the school, and there were confirmed injuries,” The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A woman who lives near a crime scene told reporter Jim Schultz that the shooting spree has traumatized the normally peaceful community. “This is a family town,” she said to Schultz. “I don’t want it to be known as a Columbine.”

This article will be updated as more is learned about the victims.

https://heavy.com/news/2017/11/kevin...chool-shooter/

Terrible.