It is being reported that Kevin Janson Neal, the suspect in the case of the horrific Rancho Tehama School shooting is the same man who was arrested earlier this year for an assault against an elderly person that resulted in likely "great bodily injury." The mother of the gunman who killed four people during a shooting rampage in Northern California said he called her a day earlier and told . "They were kind of elementary," says Assistant Tehama County Sheriff Phil Johnston. "I had a weapon in my hand. [10][21], As Neal was chasing an innocent victim and shooting at them from his car, he was being pursued by law enforcement. Sanders yelled at Neal, calling him names and demanding the gunman shoot him instead of the children. His neighbors had complained he had fired multiple rounds for days before this rampage that ended up at this elementary school. What he failed to realize was Neal had walked up the ramp and was near the schools door. But they still have to rip all my teeth out, and then I have to do a bone graft.. As the truck came to a stop Neal fired at the officers, who exchanged heavy gunfire with him. Kevin Neal. I feel like if I wanted to go I cant.. But just below the surface it's clear people here are still grappling with the aftermath of a local man's murderous rampage nearly three months ago that killed five and wounded 12 others. Rancho Tehama Reserve. Authorities . The retired contractor didn't want his full name used. Tehama County Sheriff's Department. The timing was also bad for attracting sustained news coverage and support campaigns. The shooting incident took place near the Rancho Tehama Elementary school when some parents were dropping off their children. Her husband would not go with them, so they went alone to start a new life near her son and daughter-in-law. Miles of rolling fields blanketed in faded wild oats and yellow starthistle line the gently curving roads into this isolated enclave an hours drive south of Redding. [32] Although Danny Elliott had meth in his system when Neal killed him and had been put on probation in 2016 for a misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia, sheriff's deputies and California Fire officials said they never found evidence of a meth operation, despite multiple visits to Bobcat Lane. All of it, all of his problems are from this incident in Tehama.. A black and red RANCHO STRONG banner hangs across the entrance to the collection of L-shaped trailers that make up the small Rancho Tehama Elementary School. He showed me a bullet hole in the roof of Saras car. He fired about 30 rounds in six minutes before he took off. More and more, its also the kind of place where some residents no longer feel safe, and are no longer surprised when they leave their homes to return to find them broken into and/or vandalized. He said that as Neal emptied a magazine, in a matter of seconds, he could set the rifle over a magazine on the vest and the gun was reloaded. Scheide. Gage Elliott became an orphan on Nov. 14, 2017. Police say Neal drove around the small community of Rancho Tehama Reserve, firing for at least 25 minutes at vehicles, homes and people in his path, targeting those he had quarreled with and . As I drove throughout Rancho Tehama, I stopped and talked with random people like David, the step-brother to Danny Elliott; step-son of Diana Steele, both of whom were killed. . Officials say Kevin Hanson Neal, 43, began firing at 7.52am on Tuesday. His neighbors complained regularly that Neal was firing off rounds day and night. He tended to a wounded family, called in medical care, set up a roadblock and helped orchestrate the police pursuit. He created a photo book of his dogs especially for the children at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, where he donated several copies. School officials heard gunshots and made a critical decision to lock it down. Authorities have identified the man behind Tuesday's shooting spree in Rancho Tehama . Krystal, who was a fifth-grader then, remembers hearing gunfire. Ferreira recalled that at one point, he wanted to know the location of the shooter, so he ventured a look out the window. Alene Tchekmedyian is an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. [4][25][26][27][28] Two handguns and another AR-15-type rifle were recovered near his body. All rights reserved. He never went back to Rancho Tehama Elementary School after that day, when he and approximately 100 other students were locked down after staffers heard gunfire nearby and quickly hustled them in from recess. If you are a victim of domestic violence or know of someone who is a victim, there is help. Viswa Vanapalli. (Editors note:Doni Chamberlain contributed to this story. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) James Woods Jr. was driving near Rancho Tehama Elementary with his father, James Woods Sr., in . The night of the shooting, Corning Union Elementary School District Superintendent Richard Fitzpatrick said those few seconds made all the the difference. They were his first victims. [17] The handguns were not registered to him. November 15, 2017 / 7:10 AM I was going to take a picture, but didnt have my camera on me. Tehama County Sheriff / AP file Link copied 2023 anewscafe.com. Officers then opened fire and killed him. Sanders said he tried to intervene and stop Neal, but that Neals wife actually got upset with Sanders and told him to mind his own business. [13][14][15] Neal crashed the pickup truck through the front gates of the school. "The quick action of those school officials. Police later shot and killed him. Law enforcement arrived and a shootout ensued. Because Eliott had listed Sanders on school forms as the person to call in case of an emergency, after Sanders was released by officers he was notified to pick up Elliotts son from the community recreation center where the kids were bused from the school after the shooting. "He didn't come to the door so they moved on. Gage gets his Social Security, I get my retirement from the state, and I get my Social Security. Neal was killed by a self-inflicted gun shot. Sanders said that seeing Michelles body was the hardest thing for him to deal with, even after being involved in the school shooting. Wythe thought it was about 10 minutes. He targeted seven locations in the rural community of Rancho Tehama, including an elementary school that went on lockdown before he came in. Ferreira said that the teacher tried to get the dispatcher to understand that she was calling from the school, the location of the shooter, but the 911 dispatcher hung up on her. I met one man who lives in a hill-top home surrounded by beautiful vistas. Ferreira did say that when Miss Nelson called 911, she got a busy signal. [5][11][32] The other victims were 56-year-old Joseph McHugh III and 55-year-old Michelle McFadyen;[11] police believe they were randomly targeted. He exited the vehicle with a self-assembled AR-15-type semi-automatic rifle, ran into the center of the school's quadrangle, and fired repeatedly at windows and walls. They said were waiting to be approved still, Woods Sr. said as he watched his son play with his own young children at a riverside park in Rancho Tehama one hot afternoon last month. Officials are still trying to learn about the shooter's past, including an alleged assault earlier this year against one of the neighbors he killed Tuesday. That was a big mistake.". Blinds are pulled, lights off, and the "open" flag is gone. [29][39] One of the neighbors involved in the January 31 incident later became one of those killed in the shootings. As Ferreira told this part of the story, he was so overcome with emotion that I didnt feel comfortable asking more about what happened in the storage room. [6][7][8], The next day Neal went on a shooting rampage, first killing a man and a woman, both neighbors with whom he had an ongoing feud over their suspected methamphetamine dealing. David said that after Neal murdered the mother and son, Neal killed their neighbor, Joseph Edward McHugh III, then stole his truck before driving down the road, shooting at cars and homes as he made his way to Rancho Tehama Elementary School. "[9], The shootings renewed attention on the legality and control of ghost guns, such as the semi-automatic rifle used in this incident. Because it feels mostly peaceful where he lives, hell stay. Police believe the gunman, Kevin Neal, was likely targeting the neighbor's son, a kindergartner at the school and anyone else who got in his way. Today, the Rancho Tehama community still hurts. As soon as he could, Sanders put in a call to Elliott to let him know they got Neal, not knowing his best friend was dead, killed by Neal. Tina said that in her gut she knew the location of the gunfire. Officers grabbed Sanders and made him take off his shirt, shoes and socks. Finally, someone informed the officers theyd arrested the wrong guy; that Sanders was the hero from the school, which sorted everything out. Source: Tehama County Sheriff. Forty-three percent of the town's residents fall below the federal poverty level. Also in that classroom was Elliotts young son. Gage still has a poster hanging on his bedroom wall adorned with messages from his former classmates well miss you, we love you but about three years ago, he lost touch with the last friend from his California life. When Sanders ran into the schoolyard, he saw Neal across the quad, firing his weapon and spraying classroom windows and walls with bullets. But clearly, theres a part of Rancho Tehama thats anything but peaceful. . Sanders said that while living with Elliott and Steele, there were several confrontations between his housemates and Neal. Before they split up, Feitelberg and her husband successfully applied to be Gages legal guardians, which enabled them to receive Social Security payments on his behalf. They also received some short-term assistance from Tehama County and about $55,000 from a GoFundMe drive. That disparity echoes researchers findings that the higher the body count, the more the media attention, and the greater the outpouring of assistance, said James Densley, a sociologist and criminal justice professor at Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. Phommathep said he is certain Kevin Neal drove to Rancho Tehama Elementary School to kill Gage. Get this The Sacramento Bee page for free from Friday, July 9, 1976 Golden Lab fem vie Locust 4 Garfield Carmichael 488-5285 or 925-7192 LOST: Reward white male toy poodle Del Campo area lost June . Armed with at least three guns and a ballistic vest, the shooter began his rampage just before 8 a.m., killing two of his neighbors. No one, Johnston says, seemed to see Neal shooting a weapon. Sanders said that he and Elliott were both threatened by Neal at various times, as were both of their young sons. My high school classmates were massacred in 2018. Cell phone photo of officers arresting Jessie Sanders, and having him strip down. The motive for the shooting is still unclear. Entrance to Danny Elliott and Diane Steeles home. At one point during his shooting spree, Neal rammed through the locked gates at Rancho Tehama Elementary School, before classes began. I also spoke with two men who live directly across the road from the school where the gate is located, which Neal eventually smashed through with a car. As she drove away, she heard something a gunshot or a firecracker. "It hurt. How are we still in the exact same place? Sanders moved out. [2] The community is located 120 miles (190 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento, 25 miles (40km) southwest of Red Bluff, and 25 miles (40km) northwest of Corning. The killing of the woman, whose name has not been released, raises the death toll to five at the hands of suspect Kevin Janson Neal, 43, who also is dead. killing 58 people and leaving more than 850 others injured, Rancho Tehama gunman targeted wife, neighbor before attacking passersby at random, Terror in Northern California town as gunman goes on rampage, kills 5, The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Snowboarder dies at South Lake Tahoe resort, California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required, Welcome to the world, baby Winter, born amid a snowstorm in Lake Arrowhead. Woods Sr. said his son would have applied for the funding earlier, but the trauma including the fire pain of being shot and the first round of dental treatments only recently subsided enough for Woods Jr. to take that step. Its the attention [shootings] get or dont get that prompts the outpourings of support. The injured included six adults and six children. In part because of the limited media attention, people who were shot or lost loved ones that day say there has not been enough support available to help rebuild their lives. [10][4] 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 guns. The New York Post reports the following day, he donned a ballistic vest, grabbed a semiautomatic rifle and two handguns and went on a 45-minute rampage across Rancho Tehama Reserve. Neal obliged, turning his assault-style rifle Sanders direction and firing like 60 times, Sanders said. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Dozens more were wounded. No one else helps us, she said. [6] A sixth body, that of the shooter's wife 38-year-old Barbara Glisan, was later discovered under the floorboards of their home;[6][11] she is believed to have been killed the day before. "With how violent he was and his record they should have came and made sure his guns were gone," parent Sandra Wells says, echoing criticism heard from many residents here. For most of them, it provided counseling, because thats what they needed. He said the look of fear in his sisters eyes was frightening. Two of the shots hit the 6-year-old boy in his chest and leg. Asked about Sanders actions that morning, Rancho Tehama residents speak of his selflessness, bravery and kindness. At the elementary school, Ferreira was walking his daughter to her classroom before 8 a.m. Neal's mother told The Associated Press her son, who was a marijuana . [40], Due to the shooting spree, Rancho Tehama Elementary School was closed earlier than planned for the Thanksgiving holiday break[5] and reopened on November 27. We were helping with that for a good two years afterward.. Police in Tehama County said the shooting took place across several sites including the elementary school, with Kevin Janson Neal reportedly picking targets at random. Yikes!! And we all strongly agree that", "It is very tough. She's used to the echo of gunfire in this rural community. And then I have to do implants. Jim works at the gas station in town. On one level, it looks like all is mostly back to normal in the small, rural community of Rancho Tehama in Northern California. Photos by Steve DuBois.). The front yard where Tehama County, Calif., gunman Kevin Janson Neal lived with his wife, Barbara. The gunman, identified by the Sacramento Bee and members of the Rancho Tehama, as Kevin Janson Neal, 44, shot both inside and outside Rancho Tehama Elementary School, Johnston said. It was Elliotts father who broke the news of his sons death to Sanders. Shortly before the shooting started, Sanders sister Tina had just dropped her son off at Rancho Tehama Elementary School. Another young man, Dale Dykes, showed where Neal was shot and killed by officers, just a short distance down the road from where Sanders lives. Cardenas was eventually airlifted to a hospital. David, Elliotts stepbrother, said that his fatherless step-nephew is now living with the boys maternal grandmother. James Woods Sr., 47, at a park in Rancho Tehama Reserve. She told her brother she thought someone was shooting at the elementary school. And the month before, in Americas deadliest mass shooting, a gunman massacred a crowd of festival-goers in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and leaving more than 850 others injured. [9][17] A six-year-old student was also injured by a gunshot to the chest. RANCHO TEHAMA -- "The guy was a bad guy. Ive always understood that people have mental issues. The woman, who had a concealed carry permit, pulled out her own handgun but was unable to fire it before Neal drove away, Johnston said. Some media reported that police believe Neal went home after he left the school, and took off in yet another stolen vehicle. ", "One of the teachers quoted, 'the students are the heroes.' Before joining The Times in 2016, she reported on crime and policing for the Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader. As… Continue reading Kevin Janson Neal: Rancho . And she actually just the other day brought up the shootings again. Four people were killed in the assault that lasted 45 minutes and 10 more were injured, including at least one young student. A memorial near a fire station in Rancho Tehama Reserve honors the victims of the 2017 mass shooting. Lobdell immediately called for every child and teacher to go inside, fast, and get into lock down mode they'd practiced. Johnston was one of the first on scene that day. It was gone, gone. There are terrific days and we're all so thankful," she says. "But this was pretty obvious," he continues. Danny Elliott and Diana Steele were killed five years after Gages mother died in an accident, said Sissy Feitelberg, Gages maternal grandmother. In using the term, "domestic terrorist," I am . Contact 1-800-799- Safe (7233); Alternative to Violence Red Bluff 530-528-0226; One Safe Place Redding 530-244-0188; Shingletown 530-474-1910; Catalyst in Chico, 530-343-7711, or Oroville 530-532-6427. The community will try to move forward. Among the injured was a 6-year-old boy, shot while inside his classroom. Definitely the biggest thing, he said, is wondering how theyre going to look at their dad when theyre older., Now 12 years old, Gage moved with Feitelberg to her and her husbands home in Sacramento immediately after the shooting. The GoFundMe drive established by family members of a teacher killed in May at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and her husband, who subsequently died of a heart attack, has already brought in more than $2.8 million. When they got out, Neal shot them, killing one. Now, nearly five years after the shooting, Feitelberg said she and Gage only truly feel secure when theyre together at home. I lost my marriage over it, which I dont care, because my main thing was I wanted to make sure Gage was safe and he felt safe.. One of children was the 6-year-old boy who would eventually be injured by gunfire. I mean really. Sanders, a father himself, said he was moved to tears one day last week when his son the one Neal may have driven to Rancho Tehama Elementary School to kill got onto a school bus and shouted, My dads a hero!. On his way through the town, he shot a woman . Its definitely affected Gage, and it will for the rest of his life.. Among . By law, Van Horne says, CalVCB cannot disclose any more information about specific victims or applicants. "Everyone's got their antennas up. One student was wounded and others were injured by broken glass. It was a real big shock.". Chris Van Horne with CalVCB confirms the board, so far, has paid out only $100 in all for medical bills for the 12 wounded in Rancho Tehama. He was watching television, and didnt hear anything until the gunman was trying to leave. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye (252), Win-River Casino Expansion: One Step(4,634), Gateway School District Update: Clif(3,529), Comment on Against Ad Hoc Committee Advice, New State California Secessionist Chriss Street May Be Countys CEO by Jolly, Comment on Against Ad Hoc Committee Advice, New State California Secessionist Chriss Street May Be Countys CEO by George Winship. [7] His neighbors, 38-year-old Danny Elliott and 68-year-old Diana Steele with whom he had had previous conflicts, were his first two killings on November 14. So they didn't have the evidence to search his home? The truck became stuck in the gate. (Elijah Nouvelage / AFP / Getty Images) The restraining order expired in September, but was renewed before the shootings. After Neal sped off in the truck, Sanders raced from the school and across the airport runway to his moms place. 5. . "She was not wetting the bed anymore, but since the shooting she started pottying the bed and stuff again," she explains. He said he saw flashes before his eyes with memories of his life the good things hed done, and the bad. Sanders assumed Neal was at the school trying to make good on his threat to kill Sanders son, and the son of his friend, Eliott. Miss Nelson yelled at Ferreira to get away from the window. Despite Ferreiras quick actions, hes tortured by the wish that hed been the one shot, not a 6-year-old little kid. It worked. A school custodian and the teachers put it into action. Sanders recalled a pivotal incident. Sanders explained that he and his young son used to live with friends Diana Steele and her son Danny Elliott. District Attorney Gregg Cohen told The Bee that Neal is currently being prosecuted by his office for assault with a deadly weapon and a stabbing that had occurred . As Sanders ran toward Neal he said he could see bullets bouncing everywhere. [9][35] His mother had reportedly noticed a decline in his mental health since 2016. Then I started walking around the area taking pictures as that location is the entrance to the small community. I have the California victim compensation through Sacramento, he said, so Im kind of waiting on that. The stolen truck was ultimately rammed by two law enforcement officers, one from the Corning Police Department, who responded from the city of Corning to assist the sheriff's office, and a Tehama County Sheriff's deputy. It is believed the shooting spree began after a domestic row with the gunman's neighbours in Rancho Tehama, a rural community about 120 miles (195km . He gets good grades, she said, but for four years, he kept to himself, he made no friends, he didnt want to go out anywhere. I'm scared Lol. Ferreira said that when secretary Sara heard the shots she immediately put the school on lockdown. He was riding in a car with his son when Kevin Janson Neal opened fire. He stays at home, he has an Oculus [virtual reality headset], and he has a computer, and he does that and thats basically it.. But he still runs frightened into the house when he hears loud noises, Feitelberg said. Parents and school officials are thankful, yet still deeply shaken; some of the wounded feel forgotten and misled; many residents feel the police dropped the ball and say officers should have kept a closer eye on a troubled man whose life was clearly spiraling out of control.

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