Rancho Tehama Reserve shootings | |
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![]() Location in California (left) and in Tehama County (right) | |
Location | Rancho Tehama Reserve, California, U.S. |
Coordinates | 40°01′08″N 122°23′35″W / 40.018753°N 122.393089°W |
Date | November 14, 2017 ≈7:52 a.m. – 8:37 a.m. (PST) |
Attack type | Spousal murder, mass shooting, shooting spree |
Weapons | Two semi-automatic pistols, semi-automatic rifle |
Deaths | 6 (including the perpetrator) |
Injured | 10 |
Perpetrator | Kevin Janson Neal |
Motive | Unknown |
On November 14, 2017, a shooting spree took place in the unincorporated community of Rancho Tehama Reserve in California, located about 120 miles (190 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento. Five people were killed in multiple locations, while ten others were injured. The gunman, 44-year-old Kevin Janson Neal, was later shot and killed by sheriff's deputies after a car chase.
Events
The rampage started after Neal killed his wife and hid her body under the floorboards of their home.[1] He then killed a man and a female neighbor with who he had an ongoing feud.[2]
Neal stole a pickup truck that belonged to one of his victims.[3] He crashed it through the front gates of Rancho Tehama Elementary School, got out with a semi-automatic rifle, ran into the center of the school quad, and fired repeatedly at windows and walls. One student hiding under a classroom desk was shot and injured by a bullet that tore through a wall.[2] Another person was shot at the school. Further injuries and deaths were prevented because the school was placed on lockdown when shots were first heard.[4]
After fleeing the school, Neal crashed the pickup truck into another vehicle and fired upon the two occupants as they tried to flee; the female driver was killed and her husband was wounded in the legs. The man survived after pleading with Neal for his life.[5] A passerby unaware of the shootings stopped his car and asked Neal if he was okay; Neal shot and wounded him, stole his car, and continued the rampage, killing another person. He later shot into another vehicle carrying a woman and her three children; she was severely wounded, while one of her sons suffered lighter wounds.[3][6]
Eventually, Neal was shot and killed by Tehama County Sheriff deputies after a brief vehicle chase. The 25-minute attack was spread over eight crime scenes using one semi-automatic rifle and two semi-automatic pistols. His motive is unclear. Injured victims were taken to Enloe Medical Center in Chico.[7][8][9][10][11]
Perpetrator
Kevin Janson Neal was raised in Cary, North Carolina. He attended East Carolina University from August 2001 to May 2004, but did not get a degree and never declared a major. Relatives said Neal, who moved to California in 2005, had a history of mental illness and anger management issues, as well as an obsession with conspiracy theories.[2][12] His mother reportedly noticed a decline in his mental health since 2016. Neighbors would complain to police about Neal firing guns at his property, but whenever officers visited his doorstep, Neal would not respond to their knocking.[13]
Earlier in 2017, Neal was arrested and charged with stabbing a neighbor and assaulting her mother-in-law in late January. He was held on a $160,000 bail, which was posted by his mother.[3][7] However, following his release, Neal continued to harass the neighbors, causing them to successfully seek a restraining order that required him to surrender his firearms and not purchase additional ones. Police said that, despite this, he illegally manufactured the guns he used in the shootings.[13]
The day before the shootings, Neal called his mother to tell her he was "fed up" with his neighbors, whom he suspected of making methamphetamine.[3] He had previously attempted to report his neighbors to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.[13]
Aftermath and reactions
Governor Jerry Brown, and his wife Anne, offered condolences to all of the victims and their families.[2]
The shootings renewed attention on the legality of "ghost guns", which were used by Neal.[14]
See also
- Gun violence in the United States
- List of rampage killers (Americas)
- List of school shootings in the United States
- List of school-related attacks
References
- ^ "Rancho Tehama gunman killed his wife and hid her body under their home, authorities say". Los Angeles Times. November 15, 2017. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
{{cite news}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d Shyong, Frank; Panzar, Javier; Serna, Joseph; Saint John, Paige (November 14, 2017). "Terror in Northern California town as gunman goes on rampage, sprays school will bullets". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Kasler, Dale; Sabalow, Ryan; Chabria, Anita (November 14, 2017). "Locked out of school, Tehama County gunman shot at children from outside". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ St. John, Paige; Tchekmedyian, Alene (November 15, 2017). "Despite court order to give up weapons, Tehama gunman fired guns with impunity, frightening neighbors". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Rodriguez, Olga R. (November 16, 2017). "Shooter Ran Victims Off the Road and Chased Them on Foot, Family Says". Time. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ Pike, Haleigh (November 14, 2017). "Officials: Five dead, 10 injured in Rancho Tehama mass shooting". KRCR-TV. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ a b "California shooting gunman's neighbor lived in fear of him". CBS News. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ Chan, Stella; Mossburg, Cheri; Sanchez, Ray; Almasy, Steve (November 14, 2017). "4 dead after California shooting; gunman tried to enter school". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Helsel, Phil; Abdelkader, Rima; Dong, Shanshan (November 14, 2017). "Gunman kills four, wounds child at school in California shootings". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Red Bluff deadly shooting: Gunman identified". ABC7 Los Angeles. November 14, 2017. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Domonoske, Camila; Gonzales, Richard (November 14, 2017). "At Least 4 Victims Killed After Shooting At School, Other Locations In California". NPR.org. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Gunman in Fatal California Shooting Raised in Raleigh". WWAY. November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ a b c Karimi, Faith; Andone, Dakin (November 16, 2017). "California shooting gunman was 'paranoid,' DA says". CNN. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Shooting rampage in California highlights "ghost guns" and their dangers". CBS News. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.