UPDATE (6:40 p.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office says three officers injured Thursday during the search for shooting suspect Mason Lira are expected to survive.
The officers are with the California Highway Patrol, Arroyo Grande Police Department and Kings County Sheriff's Office.
At about 2:10 p.m., the sheriff’s office says a report came in of an officer shot in the area of Ramada Drive and Volpi Ysabel Road in Paso Robles.
Officers were stationed in the area as part of a containment team.
The officer shot, who was reportedly with the Arroyo Grande Police Department, was taken to the hospital for treatment.
“Officers arrived at the scene and conducted a search for the suspect, when the suspect opened fire on the officers, wounding two of them,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
Those officers, who are with the California Highway Patrol and Kings County Sheriff’s Office, were also removed from the scene and taken to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries.
All injuries to the officers are described as non-life-threatening.
The search for Lira continued along the Salinas Riverbed where authorities said it was believed the suspect had been hiding.
“The suspect attempted to flee from the riverbed towards Highway 101 when he was shot by law enforcement officers,” according to the press release.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s office says Lira was in possession of two guns believed to have been stolen from a burglary at a business in San Luis Obispo a few days prior to the shooting incident Wednesday morning that prompted the manhunt for the 26-year-old suspect.
Authorities say there are no other suspects in the case.
More information is expected to be released Thursday at a press conference planned for 7 p.m., which can be viewed live on KSBY and KSBY.com.
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UPDATE (5:45 p.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office confirms that there was only one suspect, Mason James Lira, and there are no other suspects outstanding.
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UPDATE (4:26 p.m.) - Paso Robles police say shooting suspect Mason James Lira is dead and several officers injured. This comes shortly after multiple shots could be heard coming from the Salinas Riverbed.
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UPDATE (4:08 p.m.) - The City of Arroyo Grande says an Arroyo Grande police officer was injured while assisting with the search for suspect Mason James Lira in Paso Robles. Officials say the officer's injuries are not life threatening.
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UPDATE (3 p.m.) – Caltrans says the northbound off-ramp to Highway 101 at Highway 46 West is closed due to police activity. Heavy traffic is also reported on the southbound lanes of Highway 101 in the area. Drivers are told to expect delays and be aware of law enforcement and other emergency personnel nearby.
Ramada Drive is also closed to all northbound traffic at Main Street.
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UPDATE (2:52 p.m.) - All residents of Templeton have been told to shelter-in-place.
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UPDATE (2:18 p.m.) - Paso Robles Police confirm that shots have again been fired in the area of Highway 46 West and Ramada Drive. The public is asked to avoid the area.
BREAKING: shots fired near Firestone Brewery in #PasoRoblesz Heavy police response as they are still looking for Mason Lira who shot a deputy in the face and killed a transient yesterday @KSBY
— Megan Healy (@HealyMegan) June 11, 2020
Multiple law enforcement agencies are on scene, including San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's, FBI, and two helicopters.
A reverse-911 shelter-in-place message was issued for people within a two-mile radius of Volpi Ysabel Road. SLO County officials say people in other areas may have also received the message in error.
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UPDATE (10:40 a.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff' Office has released the name of the deputy shot during an active shooter incident early Wednesday morning.
The deputy is 28-year-old Nicholas Dreyfus. He's been a deputy in SLO County for nearly two years and is assigned to the North County Sheriff's Station in Templeton.
In a press release, officials say Dreyfus was searching for the suspect Wednesday morning when he was shot in the face.
Dreyfus was taken to a local hospital and then flown to a trauma center for surgery.
Sheriff's officials say the surgery went well and his prognosis is good.
The shooting suspect, Mason Lira, remains outstanding Thursday.
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UPDATE (10:00 a.m.) - Authorities are asking everyone to avoid the riverbed in Paso Robles as law enforcement teams continue searching for shooting suspect Mason Lira.
The SLO Sheriff's Office says more shots were fired Wednesday night. The shots were fired at about 10:10 p.m. between 2nd and 3rd St. in Paso Robles.
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UPDATE (9:25 a.m.) - The search continues for Paso Robles shooting suspect Mason James Lira, 26.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office says it is receiving assistance from multiple agencies, including Tulare, Santa Barbara, Kings County, the FBI and other local law enforcement agencies.
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UPDATE (9 a.m.) - Law enforcement personnel are still actively searching the Paso Robles area for the suspect. Additional information has not been released.
SLO County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla confirms Lira fired shots at law enforcement officers in the overnight and early morning hours. Cipolla did not release any other details.
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UPDATE (5:55 a.m.) - A gas station clerk confirms to KSBY that the shooting suspect came into their store on the 1800 block of Ramada Dr. overnight.
A Chevron gas station employee says 26-year-old Mason James Lira walked into the convenience store at about 2 a.m. Thursday. The clerk described Lira as being sweaty, exhausted and mumbling to himself.
The employee said Lira "seemed crazy" but did not do anything threatening.
The clerk said he recognized Lira immediately but did not let on that he knew who he was.
As soon as Lira bought an energy drink and left the store, the clerk called 911.
Law enforcement quickly arrived at the gas station.
Lira is still on the run. If you see him, call 911.
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UPDATE (4:20 a.m.) - The northbound Highway 101 offramp to Highway 46 is back open. The search for the suspect is ongoing. Watch KSBY News at 5 and 6am for live updates on the search and the latest on the investigation.
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UPDATE (3:15 a.m.) - The northbound Highway 101 offramp to Highway 46 W is closed as authorities continue to search for shooting suspect Mason James Lira.
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UPDATE (2:15 a.m.) - Authorities could be seen using flash bangs during a search of the Grandview Apartments along the 200 block of Spring Street.
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UPDATE (1:25 a.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office says the suspect is still on the run. The search for Mason James Lira is ongoing.
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UPDATE (11:50 p.m.) - A heavy police presence once again filled the streets of Paso Robles Wednesday night.
As of 11:50 p.m., multiple agencies were on scene throughout the town looking for suspect Mason James Lira, 26, who police say shot and killed a man Wednesday morning and also shot and wounded a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Deputy.
Two helicopters were being used in the search.
The Spring Street offramp at Highway 101 Northbound was closed as of 11 p.m. and drivers were being detoured in the area.
Police are asking people to avoid the area.
Authorities say Lira should be considered armed and dangerous. If seen, call 911.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
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UPDATE (10:55 p.m.) - According to the Paso Robles Police Department a search is being conducted in the area of Spring and 1st Street. They advise the public to avoid the area.
UPDATE (9:50 p.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office has identified the suspect in Wednesday morning's shooting in Paso Robles as Mason James Lira, 26.
He is reportedly a transient from the Monterey area.
Lira has not yet been located and authorities say he should be considered armed and dangerous. If seen, call 911.
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UPDATE (3:40 p.m.) - San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson says a shooting that targeted the Paso Robles Police Department early Wednesday morning was the “act of a coward.”
Authorities released photos of the suspect Wednesday afternoon. The man is described as approximately 5'8" and 150-160 pounds with dark curly hair and a beard.
Anyone who recognizes this man is urged to contact the SLO County Sheriff's Office, Paso Robles Police Department, or Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-STOP.
At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Sheriff Parkinson described the incident as an “unprovoked attack on law enforcement” by a suspect “laying in ambush” at the police department.
The shooting reportedly started outside the police department at about 3:15 a.m. Paso Robles Police Chief Ty Lewis says a dispatcher monitoring the department’s security cameras saw a suspicious person walking around the building and then start shooting.
Paso Robles police called for help from other agencies as they responded to the shooter outside, and Parkinson says the gunman shot at police cars as they entered the downtown area to assist.
Parkinson says two sheriff’s deputies who arrived at the scene together came under fire at 4:19 a.m. and one of the deputies was shot in the face. The second deputy reportedly returned fire at the shooter.
The injured deputy, a two-year veteran of the department, was flown to a trauma center in another county and is in serious but stable condition, according to Parkinson.
The downtown area was locked down and a shelter-in-place order issued as law enforcement officials searched for the shooter. As of 3 p.m., the gunman had not been found but police said they were lifting the shelter-in-place order. Chief Lewis says investigators are confident the shooter is no longer in the area.
Lewis asked people to continue to avoid the downtown area as officers were still processing at least five different locations that were considered part of the crime scene.
Police are also investigating a homicide that they believe to be connected to the shooting.
The body of a 58-year-old man was found on the train tracks in the area of 8th and Pine streets at about 7 a.m.
Authorities say the man was a transient who had been camping in the area. He was reportedly shot in the back of the head in what Chief Lewis says appears to be an unprovoked attack.
Business owners in the area discovered the body and reported it to police.
Sheriff Parkinson says they are putting more officers on patrol in Paso Robles and throughout county.
The FBI is assisting local authorities with the investigation.
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UPDATE (2:30 p.m.) - Police say a search of downtown Paso Robles has concluded and the suspect in an early morning shooting is still outstanding. The area remains closed for evidence processing.
Anyone with surveillance video of the shooting is urged to contact the Paso Robles Police Department.
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UPDATE (10:50 a.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office says a body found near the Amtrak station in Paso Robles Wednesday morning is believed to be related to the shooting of a sheriff's deputy earlier in the day.
The body was found in the area of 8th and Pine streets at about 7 a.m.
The death is being investigated as a homicide. Sheriff's officials say the victim, a man in his late 40s, was shot in the head at close proximity.
Authorities say an unknown gunman fired shots at the Paso Robles Police Department building at about 3:15 a.m. A short time later, law enforcement received reports that a sheriff's deputy had been shot.
The deputy was airlifted to a trauma center and is reportedly in serious but stable condition.
Authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order for downtown Paso Robles while officers conduct a systematic search of the area for the shooter, who has been described as a man in his 20s or 30s.
Police say there have been no reports of shots fired since 4 a.m.
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UPDATE (8:55 a.m.) - Law enforcement officers confirm they have found a body on the train tracks in Paso Robles. They are currently investigating whether that person had any connection to the earlier shootings.
No other details about the body have been released.
The search for the shooter is ongoing and he is still considered armed and dangerous.
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UPDATE (7:10 a.m.) - The deputy who was shot in Paso Robles early Wednesday is in serious but stable condition, according to the SLO County Sheriff's Office.
The search for an armed man is ongoing. The suspect allegedly fired rounds at the Paso Robles Police Department building around 3 a.m. and the deputy was shot shortly thereafter.
The shelter-in-place order remains in effect for downtown Paso Robles.
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UPDATE (6:30 a.m.) - Residents in the downtown area of Paso Robles are being asked to shelter-in-place Wednesday morning as law enforcement searches for an active shooter suspect.
Authorities say they are looking for one suspect who they consider armed and dangerous.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla says shots were fired at the Paso Robles Police Department building at about 3:15 a.m.
Shortly after, reports came in that a sheriff's deputy had been shot. It's unclear if the deputy was near the Paso Police Department when they were shot or if the two shootings are separate incidents.
Paso Robles police officials say the shooting stopped at about 4 a.m.
The deputy who was shot was rushed to a local hospital and is reportedly in stable condition, according to officials.
Spring St. is blocked off from 10th to 13th St.
Law enforcement officials are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call Paso Robles police or the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
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UPDATE (6 a.m.) - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office confirms one of its deputies was shot early Wednesday morning in Paso Robles.
Law enforcement has shut down part of Spring St. and barricades are set up around the downtown area.
According to officials, the situation began with shots fired at the Paso Robles Police Department building.
The condition of the deputy who was shot is unknown.
Law enforcement is currently searching for a suspect.
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(5:30 a.m.) - Law enforcement officers are responding to an "active and moving" crime scene in the City of Paso Robles.
A call came into police at 3:15 Wednesday morning reporting shots fired at the Paso Robles Police Department building.
Authorities confirm more shots were fired in the downtown area near City Park.
The gunman has not been caught, according to police, and no information about a suspect has been released.
Witnesses tell KSBY they have seen SWAT teams and helicopters circling the area.
A KSBY crew is headed to the scene. This is a developing story and will be updated as soon as more information is available.
