Anderson police officers responded around 5 a.m. Wednesday to a report of a possible shooting in the 2600 block of West Hillside Drive, where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. Authorities say the victim is expected to survive, and investigators believe everyone involved in the incident has already been identified and contacted.
The Anderson Police Department said the shooting does not pose an ongoing threat to the public, according to Action News Now, which first reported the incident. Action News Now also noted that police have not confirmed the man's current hospital status, and the case remains under investigation. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office assisted Anderson officers with the response, though it's unclear exactly what role county investigators played beyond providing support.
How Gunshot Cases Reach Police in California
Cases like this one often reach law enforcement through more than just a 911 call. Under California Penal Code Section 11160, any healthcare practitioner who treats a patient for a gunshot wound is legally required to immediately notify local police by phone and follow up with a written report within two working days. Failing to do so is itself a misdemeanor under state law, a mandatory-reporting system designed to make sure firearm injuries don't go unreported even if the shooting itself isn't witnessed.
Emergency response in Anderson runs through SHASCOM-911, a joint powers dispatch agency that handles roughly 25,000 calls a month across Shasta County on a $9 million annual budget. The agency dispatches not just for Anderson police but also for Redding police and fire crews and county sheriff's units, making it the backbone of early-morning calls like Wednesday's.
A Familiar Stretch of Road for Anderson Police
West Hillside Drive has drawn police attention before. In July, the Anderson Police Department took part in an early-morning, multi-agency code enforcement sweep that specifically targeted problem areas including Hillside Drive, an operation that also involved fire, public works, and code enforcement personnel. It's not clear whether that earlier sweep is connected in any way to Wednesday's shooting, but it underscores that the corridor has been on the department's radar in recent months.
When cases require additional investigative muscle, Anderson police can lean on the Shasta County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit, which is staffed with eight investigators and one sergeant dedicated to serious violent felonies countywide. The unit regularly coordinates with municipal departments in Anderson and Redding on violent crime cases, a partnership that mirrors the joint law enforcement work seen in other recent Shasta County cases, including a Shasta County sex sting arrest earlier this month.
Department Leadership and a Broader Safety Picture
The Anderson Police Department has been led since October 2024 by Chief Oliver Collins, who came to the roughly 11,255-resident city after seven years as a captain with the Emeryville Police Department in northern California. Collins brings more than 24 years of law enforcement experience and holds degrees from the POST Command College and the FBI National Academy. Anderson, located about 10 miles south of Redding, has a median household income of $47,375, according to Data USA's analysis of Census Bureau figures.
Collins has also pushed for new equipment during his tenure. At an August 2025 Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, he presented plans to acquire body-worn cameras for the department, technology that often becomes key evidence in shooting investigations. His department reported this past April that local Part I crimes fell 8% between 2024 and 2025, reaching a five-year low after a 33% drop in 2024, though that decline was driven largely by reductions in property crime even as assault reports had previously ticked violent crime totals up slightly.
No further details on a suspect, a motive, or the exact circumstances of Wednesday's shooting have been released, and police have not said whether charges are anticipated. The investigation remains open.
