A gunman who fired a shot into a Colonial Village apartment in North Auburn early Thursday is now described as a man in his mid-20s, not the late-40s suspect originally sought, and he remains outstanding as detectives chase new leads. No one was struck by the gunfire, but the shooting set off a multi-agency manhunt involving ground teams, a helicopter, and K9 units before the search was scaled back around 6:30 a.m.
According to a social media update from the Placer Sheriff
, further investigation revealed that the suspect is in his mid-20s. The office's original description had placed him as a Black male in his late 40s, roughly 5 feet 9 inches tall with a medium build, last seen wearing light-colored pants and a white shirt near Highway 49 and Fulweiler Avenue in Auburn. Detectives are continuing to follow up on leads as the search goes on.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to the shooting call shortly after 1:20 a.m. in North Auburn, after a gunshot was fired into an apartment in the Colonial Village area. As reported by ABC10, Auburn Police officers located a suspect vehicle potentially tied to the shooting about 30 minutes later near Highway 49 and Fulweiler Avenue, a stretch of road that, per Placer County public records, sits right at the county's administrative hub housing the Board of Supervisors chambers.
Inside the Vehicle: An Assault and a Scramble
Investigators say the suspect was in the vehicle with one man and one woman at the time, and that he assaulted the woman before two men fled the area on foot. Deputies caught up with one of the men nearby; the same ABC10 report notes he was armed with a .40-caliber Glock handgun when he was taken into custody on suspicion of conspiracy. The primary suspect, however, got away.
That conspiracy charge stems from California Penal Code Section 182, which, per Justia Law, defines criminal conspiracy as an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime paired with an overt act toward that goal, with penalties matching the underlying felony.
Multi-Agency Search in North Auburn
The search involved the Placer County Sheriff's Office and Auburn Police Department. The joint effort included multiple ground teams, a helicopter, and K9 units before being scaled back around 6:30 a.m.
What Investigators Still Don't Know
Detectives have not said what relationship, if any, connects the primary suspect, the arrested passenger, and the woman who was assaulted inside the vehicle. The condition of that woman, the motive behind the initial gunfire, and whether the recovered Glock pistol can be forensically linked to the apartment shooting all remain open questions as the investigation continues.
The Placer Sheriff's office says it will maintain a presence in the area and continue searching for the suspect and pursuing additional leads throughout the day. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Placer County Sheriff's Office at 530-886-5375 or the Auburn Police Department at 530-823-4234. The update follows other recent public safety alerts in North Auburn, including Hoodline's earlier report on a hidden camera found amid a burglary spree in the same community.
