Three individuals found themselves in the line of fire while simply attempting to navigate a residential area in Twentynine Palms. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reported that on Sunday, at approximately 4:36 p.m., deputies responded to a distress call involving shots fired near the intersection of Indian Trail and Meldora Avenue. According to the initial investigation, Daniel Bass, Diego Rangel, and Zakkory Arwick were turning their gray Dodge Ram around on Cove View Road when their vehicle was suddenly struck by bullets, one of which lodged in the passenger-side door.
The victims, in their scramble for safety, identified the suspect's residence using aerial images from the Sheriff’s Aviation. Andrew Gaskill, a 46-year-old resident of Twentynine Palms, was apprehended by deputies after they located his home and conducted a search, as detailed in a press release by the Sheriff-Coroner's Department. A rifle believed to have been used in the incident, along with other firearms, a shotgun, a handgun, and an AR-style rifle, were seized from Gaskill's property.
Gaskill now faces serious charges, with the authorities booking him on suspicion of assault with a firearm, a violation outlined in the California Penal Code 245(a)(2). The official statement released by Sheriff-Coroner Shannon D. Dicus indicates that the suspect is currently held at Morongo Basin Jail. The investigation into the incident, documented under case number 092500687, remains ongoing, with deputies Melissa Enciso and Tyler Harlacker credited for their involvement in the swift apprehension of the suspect.
Inquiries about the case can be directed to the Morongo Basin Station at 760-366-4175.
