CLEARLAKE OAKS >> Monday’s shooting spree that left two dead, two civilians wounded and an officer injured began with an argument inside the Clearlake Oaks home of Alan Ashmore, who was eventually arrested after a brief but chaotic chase involving bursts of gunfire at several locations.
The homicide victims were identified as 85-year-old Douglas Ashmore, and 64-year-old Richard Braden, both of Clearlake Oaks.
The California Highway Patrol officer who was injured has been identified as officer Steven Patrick, from the Clear Lake Area CHP office.
According to Kory Reynolds of the CHP, Patrick was shot in the abdomen by a shotgun slug. He was wearing his bulletproof vest and sustained non-life threatening injuries. Patrick had joined the pursuit and was near the intersection of Highway 20 and High Valley Road in Clearlake Oaks at the time.
In a timeline released by Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Norm Taylor, the incident began shortly after Braden, a longtime friend of Ashmore, showed up at the Ashmore residence on Anchor Village in the Clearlake Oaks Keys and was seen knocking on the front door and windows.
Another resident told investigators they had seen Ashmore leave the home earlier. When no one came to the door, Braden left and parked nearby, remaining in his vehicle.
Shortly after Ashmore returned to his residence and a neighbor heard a woman screaming. Ashmore allegedly engaged in an argument with a 22-year-old Middletown, woman inside of the home.
“The argument escalated and Ashmore threatened the woman, while he held her at knifepoint.,” Taylor reported in the timeline. “The woman resisted Ashmore and he shot her once in the foot, as she fled the residence.”
According to the LCSO account, the woman ran to the neighbor’s house and was let inside.
Witnesses told investigators that Ashmore followed, apparently in pursuit of the woman.
Douglas Ashmore, the father of Alan Ashmore, came out of the residence. Alan allegedly approached his father with a handgun and shot him.
Douglas Ashmore was later found dead at the scene.
Alan Ashmore reportedly pointed the gun at the neighbor and pulled the trigger. “Ashmore’s weapon, a small caliber semi-automatic handgun, misfired and the witness was uninjured,” Taylor said.
Investigators say Ashmore retrieved a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun from his residence and got into his white Chevrolet Tahoe. He drove a short distance to a neighbor’s house on Anchor Village and fired at the house with the shotgun.
Ashmore entered the residence and again fired the shotgun at the occupants. While the occupants fled, one woman suffered non-life threatening injuries as she jumped from a window.
Authorities say Ashmore shot at two other homes, including one owned by a former employer, before locating Braden sitting in his parked vehicle.
Ashmore allegedly shot him with the shotgun. Braden was later found dead at the scene.
As a flurry of confused calls alerted law enforcement of an active shooter in the region, CHP officer Patrick responded. He was inside his patrol car when Ashmore encountered him, firing an unknown number of shotgun blasts.
Rounds struck both the patrol car and Patrick, who was wearing a ballistic vest. Patrick quickly joined a deputy who arrived on the scene, attempting to locate Ashmore. He then went to nearby East Bay Elementary School to ensure security before seeking medical aid.
One witness called in to say the shooter was driving a camper rather than an SUV. The confusion was furthered by calls to dispatch reporting a dark colored Camaro following Ashmore’s vehicle. At one point officers stopped the driver of a Camaro matching the description, asking him at gunpoint to exit his car.
Further investigation found that no other driver or vehicle was involved in Ashmore’s rampage.
The shooter fled to a Chevron station located near the intersection of Highway 20 and Keys Boulevard. He walked into the Chevron store armed with the shotgun and confronted a vendor.
After seeing the shotgun, the vendor fled the store and Ashmore fired one shotgun round at him, an incident captured by the store’s security cameras. The round missed the vendor who then retreated to his vehicle and retrieved a handgun, as he was licensed to carry a concealed firearm.
In the video, Ashmore is seen taking a soda from the store and a clerk ducks behind the counter. The shooter ignored the clerk and went back out to his vehicle.
At this point the vendor fired several times at Ashmore in an attempt to stop him. Ashmore was not struck by any of those shots. Several rounds did impact Ashmore’s vehicle, which was later reported to have a window shot out.
First Ashmore headed west on Highway 20. He allegedly stole cigarettes and a lighter from a Power Mart near Foothill Blvd. He next drove east, turning onto High Valley Road.
“In an attempt to aid in his escape, Ashmore lit wildfires fires as he drove up High Valley Road,” Taylor reported. “Those fires were later controlled by Northshore and CalFire firefighters.”
The shooter made his way to Brassfield Estate Winery, where he reportedly brandished a weapon at someone. It is unclear whether he fired the weapon, although scanner reports initially suggested he had pulled the trigger.
Both the winery and tasting room went on immediate lockdown. One family was in the tasting room at the time, but they were never in any reported danger.
LCSO deputies caught up to Ashmore at this point. The pursuit continued west on High Valley.
Sheriff’s deputies, CHP Officers, and a Lakeport Police Officer positioned themselves at the intersection of Bartlett Springs Road and High Valley Road, in order to prevent Ashmore from escaping. When Ashmore arrived at the road block, he surrendered to Sheriff’s deputies without further incident.
According to Taylor, he was in possession of a Remington 1200 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun, a Raven arms .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and numerous rounds of ammunition.
“Detectives are continuing to piece together information in order to determine the motivation for Ashmore’s crime spree,” Taylor said.
Patrick, an 11 year veteran of the CHP, has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
