A suspect wanted for a shooting spree in California that left one man dead and multiple law enforcement officers wounded is “down,” authorities said Thursday.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office identified the alleged shooter as Mason James Lira, 26, of Monterey.
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It wasn’t immediately clear how many officers were injured or what their conditions are. Lira is accused of shooting sheriff’s deputy Nicholas Dreyfus, 28, in the face early Wednesday morning, NBC affiliate KSBY reported.
Dreyfus, who was struck while responding to a report that someone opened fire on a police department building, was taken to a trauma center where he underwent surgery. His condition wasn’t immediately known.
A second deputy who was with Dreyfus wasn’t injured and returned fire before moving his wounded partner to safety, the sheriff’s said Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office said the body of an unidentified local man was found later on Wednesday at the train station in Paso Robles, about three hours south of San Francisco. Paso Robles Police Chief Ty Lewis said Wednesday that the man, who appeared to have been shot at close range in the back of the head, was believed to be camping in the area.
On Thursday, shortly after 3 p.m., Lira allegedly shot a police officer from the nearby city of Arroyo Grande who was assisting in the search effort.
The city said in a statement that the officer, who is also a member of a regional SWAT team, was struck during an exchange of gunfire after authorities spotted the suspect south of downtown Paso Robles.
At 4:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office tweeted that the suspect was down and several officers were wounded.
