RE: Attempted suicide injures another near Hot Creek Hatchery  (Mono Sheriff Press Release)

On the evening of Tuesday, August 20, 2013, at approximately 6:45 pm, Mono County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a 911 call that a shooting had just occurred at the Mammoth Lakes Fish Hatchery, otherwise known as Hot Creek Hatchery. Mono County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Mammoth Lakes Police Department (MLPD), Mono County Paramedics, and Long Valley Fire Department, were dispatched to the scene.

A 49 year-old man, from Benton was staying at a house at Hot Creek Hatchery and was contemplating suicide in a garage. The male subject tried to shoot himself and flinched. He discharged the weapon, missing himself, shooting the bullet through the garage wall, and striking his 44 year-old girlfriend, of Mammoth Lakes, in her right arm. The girlfriend and her daughter ran from the scene to seek safety at a neighbor’s house. The man exited his garage, threatened to kill his neighbor, and encountered the first CHP Officer on scene. The male subject threatened to also shoot the officer. The officer was able to talk the male subject down. He was still combative, uncooperative and the officer deployed his taser to gain control of the male subject as backup arrived from Mono County Sheriff’s Deputies and Mammoth Lakes Police Department Officers.

While gaining control of the male subject, Mono County Sheriff’s Deputies noticed a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his left foot. With the escort of Mono County Sheriff’s Deputies, the male subject was transported by Mono County Paramedics to Mammoth Hospital for treatment to his left foot. The girlfriend received non-life threatening injuries to her right arm and was medically cleared by Paramedics on scene.

This incident is currently under investigation by Mono County Sheriff’s Investigators with all potential charges pending with the Mono County District Attorney’s Office.

Written and prepared by: Jennifer Hansen, Public Information Officer