Gunfire broke out at a home on Raven Lane in Hayfork last Wednesday after an argument turned violent, sending a man fleeing into the rural hills of Trinity County before he surrendered to authorities the next day. No one was injured, but the incident triggered a regional manhunt across Northern California before it ended peacefully at the county sheriff's office.
The Trinity County Sheriff's Emergency Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting shots fired at the Raven Lane residence at approximately 12:53 p.m. on September 9, according to Trinity County, CA. Deputies arrived at the scene by 1:20 p.m., joined by officers from the California Highway Patrol and the Trinity County Marshal's Office. Raven Lane sits in the unincorporated community of Hayfork, which the county says is home to 2,324 residents across 72.1 square miles, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Investigators determined the gunfire erupted following an argument, during which the suspect fired a handgun before fleeing the area in a white Lexus toward Wildwood Road. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Suspect Identified, Regional Alert Issued
Law enforcement identified the suspect as 42-year-old Gabriel Jon Schroder of Portland, Oregon, and issued a regional Be On the Lookout alert across Northern California as the search intensified. Schroder ultimately surrendered at the Trinity County Sheriff's Office on September 10 at 1:30 p.m., turning himself in per deputies, according to Action News Now. The surrender occurred at the sheriff's office.
The response drew on multiple agencies at once, including the Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol and the Trinity County Marshal's Office.
A Vast, Unincorporated County With No City Police
In this incident, the Trinity County Sheriff's Emergency Dispatch Center received the 911 call, while deputies, California Highway Patrol officers and personnel from the Trinity County Marshal's Office responded to the scene.
Potential Charges Under State Law
Should prosecutors pursue charges, California law provides a framework for cases involving gunfire at a residence. Under Penal Code Section 246, maliciously discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling is a felony with a maximum sentence of seven years in state prison and a maximum fine of $10,000, according to Eisner Gorin LLP. A structure is considered inhabited if it is used as a residence, regardless of whether anyone is inside at the time of the shooting.
Separately, it remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue charges under Penal Code Section 245(a)(2). The incident involved gunfire during an argument, but no one was injured. It remains unclear whether Schroder had any prior relationship to the residents of the Raven Lane home, and formal charges from the Trinity County District Attorney's Office had not been detailed as of this reporting.
