- LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
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Sheriff releases new details on fatal Clearlake Oaks shooting spree
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Lake County’s sheriff has issued a report with new details on a deadly Monday shooting spree in Clearlake Oaks, with the suspect in custody and the investigation continuing.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Alan Ashmore, 61 years of age for two counts of homicide as well as multiple other counts of assault with a firearm following shootings that left two adult males dead, one adult female civilian wounded and one California Highway Patrol officer injured after he was struck in his body armor by gunfire from Ashmore, according to Sheriff Brian Martin.
Previous reports had put the total number of shooting victims at five, but Martin told Lake County News that the number was reduced to four after it was discovered that one civilian who had believed to have been wounded was not struck by gunfire.
Martin said the original call came into the sheriff’s office at approximately 11:23 a.m.
The preliminary investigation showed that Ashmore shot into several residences in the 13000 block of Anchor Village in Clearlake Oaks, Martin said. The two homicide victims were located at different locations in the same block.
Ashmore also shot a female resident on the same street, Martin said.
Martin said Ashmore then left the residence and went to a local gas station where he shot at a civilian who happened to be a licensed concealed weapon holder. This person returned fire, striking Ashmore’s vehicle.
Ashmore then went to another gas station where he shot at other people. As of the release of Martin’s report at about 4 p.m. Monday, there were no known injuries from the incident at the second gas station, Martin said.
Martin said the CHP officer was shot early in on in the incident. The officer had non-life threatening injuries.
Witnesses provided a description of the vehicle Ashmore was driving – a white SUV – as well as a direction of travel on High Valley Road, Martin said.
A report of a fire that had just started on High Valley Road came into the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch and that fire is being investigated as arson, Martin said.
Martin said the investigation also will focus on determining whether or not Ashmore started that fire.
As deputies were searching for Ashmore, Brassfield Winery reported that Ashmore had shot at employees there, according to Martin.
Responding deputies were able to locate Ashmore’s vehicle and pursued him for several miles, Martin said.
Other responding deputies and officers from Lakeport Police Department and CHP set up a roadblock. When Ashmore encountered the roadblock, he surrendered without incident, Martin said.
Several firearms were recovered from his vehicle and they are believed to be the weapons used in the murders, Martin said. He previously confirmed to Lake County News that a shotgun was among the weapons.
Lake County Sheriff’s detectives, with assistance from the CHP, Clearlake Police Department, Lakeport Police Department and the Lake County District Attorney’s Office are processing multiple crime scenes, Martin said.
Martin said Ashmore is expected to be booked into the Lake County Jail on multiple charges.
The investigation is ongoing and further details will be released as they become available, Martin said.
Meanwhile, the public is being asked for any information they may have concerning this investigation.
If you have information, please contact Det. Sgt. John Gregore at 707-262-4238.