JOHNSON PARK: 50-year-old arrested after shooting, stand-off

JOHNSON PARK — Authorities arrested a 50-year-old man they allege shot another man outside a trailer park before barricading himself inside his residence, Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 16. The brief stand-off ended when the alleged suspect gave up and exited his home, according to sheriff’s officials.

After the shooting the victim, 28-year-old, Richard “Ricky” Brian Lewis, was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in Redding. Officials described his injuries as life-threatening.

After an investigation, deputies arrested Randall Jerome Landsem and he was later booked into Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of attempted murder. According to Shasta County Sheriff’s Sgt. Marc St. Clair, the investigation is in its early stages and based on the department’s findings, Landsem could face additional charges. He remains in custody, held on $500,000 bail.

Deputies from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Burney Station and other emergency first responders were dispatched to Rainbow’s End Trailer Park at 2:23 p.m., after a man called 911 to report hearing gunshots in the area. The trailer park is on State Route 299 East, just east of Burney.

Before deputies and other officials arrived at the location the unidentified 911 caller found the shooting victim along a fence just outside the trailer park on St. Helena Street, north of Highway 299 E.

Medical personnel determined the victim, later identified as Lewis, had been shot in the upper body and he was rushed to a landing zone where he was then flown by SEMSA air ambulance to Mercy’s trauma center. He was listed in critical condition.

Lewis reportedly identified Landsem as the man who shot him during a dispute; however, officials have not specified the nature of the dispute or incident that led to the shooting.

Deputies tracked Landsem to his Viola Street residence, just one street to the northwest from the street where Lewis had been shot. Deputies surrounded Landsem’s home and used a P.A. system to order him to exit the residence.

Landsem initially refused to come out of his home, leading to a brief stand-off. During the stand-off a California Highway Patrol helicopter circled overhead, providing updates to authorities surrounding the residence. Landsem eventually exited the home and was taken into custody without further incident.

As the stand-off continued, students who live in Johnson Park and attend school in neighboring Burney were not allowed to leave campus alone, to ensure they did not have to travel past the two active crime scenes on their way home. Students were allowed to leave once authorities updated school administrators that the stand-off had been resolved and Landsem was in custody.

Officials did not specify the type of gun used in the shooting or if they had located and recovered the weapon.

After deputies apprehended Landsem, they transported him to the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit for further investigation and questioning.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Shasta County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit at (530) 245-6135. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.