Authorities may have found the man wanted for shooting a Sheriff’s deputy on the Central Coast, with shots fired and a standoff apparently underway.
People have been evacuated from businesses in the Ramada Drive area of Paso Robles, and some armored vehicles have been brought to the area. Templeton residents have also been told to shelter in place.
Police think the shots were being fired by Mason James Lira. Detectives believe he was responsible for shooting at the Paso Robles Police Department building early Wednesday morning. A San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputy responding to the scene was shot in the face, and seriously wounded.
About three hours after Wednesday’s gunfight, the body of a man who had been shot to death was found nearby at the Paso Robles train station. Detectives say the 58-year-old man might be a second victim of the gunman.
Lira was seen at a Paso Robles gas station early Thursday morning.
The wounded deputy has been identified as Nicholas Dreyfus. The 28-year-old deputy underwent surgery, and is now listed in guarded condition.
