FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

The VICE Guide to Right Now

Everything We Know About the Shooting Rampage in California

The gunman's spree was allegedly sparked by a long-running feud with his neighbor.
Drew Schwartz
Brooklyn, US
Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP/Getty Images

The gunman who killed at least four people and wounded 14 others in Northern California on Tuesday had a long-running feud with his neighbor, a domestic dispute that may have sparked his rampage, the Associated Press reports.

The suspected gunman, Kevin Janson Neal, 44, was out on bail for stabbing his neighbor in January when he carried out his killing spree. The two had been butting heads for months, and the neighbor had a restraining order against Neal, Tehama County assistant sheriff Phil Johnston told SFGate. She and a second neighbor were among the four people killed when shooting broke out at about 8 AM near Neal's home.

Advertisement

Another neighbor, Brian Flint, told the Redding Record Searchlight living next to Neal was "hell," and that he regularly harassed his neighbors and unloaded firearms on his property. The head of the local homeowners' association, Juan Caravez, told SFGate he had received about two dozen complaints specifically about Neal's gun use.

"The crazy thing is that the neighbor has been shooting a lot of bullets lately, hundreds of rounds, large magazines," Flint told the Searchlight. "We made it aware that this guy is crazy and he's been threatening us."

Neal's sister, Sheridan Orr, told the Los Angeles Times her brother had a history of violent outbursts, and police said he was involved in a "domestic violence" incident on Monday, a day before the shooting. Like Neal, the shooter behind this month's mass shooting in Texas had a history of domestic abuse—a disturbing trend among the perpetrators of America's deadliest mass shootings.

"There are certain people that do not need guns," Orr told the LA Times, "and my brother was clearly one of them."

Neal was fatally shot by police after a 45-minute rampage through Rancho Tehama Reserve, a small community about two hours north of Sacramento. After allegedly killing his two neighbors near his home, Neal stole a pickup truck and drove through town with a semiautomatic rifle and two handguns, indiscriminately shooting at the homes, cars, and people he passed, the AP reports. He ended up at Rancho Tehama Elementary School, where he rammed through the school's gate with his truck and opened fire on the building, according to NBC News.

Advertisement

"This guy was bent on driving by residences and arbitrarily shooting at them,” Johnston told SFGate. “This guy was on a killing rampage."

Although Neal was never able to get into the building, he shot and wounded a woman and two children before leaving the scene.

"The quick action of the school officials saved countless lives and children," Johnston told SFGate. "It was monumental."

Neal shot several more victims, wrecked the truck he'd stolen, and stole another vehicle before police were able to run him off the road. About 45 minutes after his shooting spree began, he was fatally shot in a firefight with the officers.

UPDATE 11/15: According to the Associated Press, the gunman's wife has been found dead in their home, bringing the death toll to at least six.

Follow Drew Schwartz on Twitter.