Willowalk shooting forces two nearby school lock downs
HEMET — A possible car to car shooting inside Hemet’s gated Willowalk community caused two nearby schools to be placed onto precautionary lock down earlier today, Tuesday, March 12.
Because the shooting happened within close proximity to West Valley High and Harmony Elementary schools, both campuses were reportedly locked down for a short period, while officers combed the area looking for two involved vehicles.
Official radio traffic indicated the suspect fled the area and had not been located as of this report. It was not immediately known if the victims of the shooting were located, but Hemet police officers did locate a crime scene and are in the process of recovering evidence found at the scene.
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Hemet police officers were dispatched to the area of Waterside Dr. and Mustang Way shortly before 3:30 p.m., after an officer in the area reported hearing multiple shots fired in the area nearby.
Officers converged on the community from around the city, blocking each of the gated entrances and exits and began stopping and interviewing numerous juveniles, who were seen dispersing from the area where the shots had been fired.
Witness reported seeing a black male hanging out the window of a dark-colored or gray sedan while waving a gun in the air just before the shots were fired. Witnesses said the suspect vehicle fled the scene prior to the officers’ arrival.
As their investigation was getting underway officers found shell casings, broken glass, and other evidence related to the shooting, in the area of Waterside and Mustang.
Both school lock downs were lifted around 3:45 p.m., about 20 minutes after the initial report of gunshots heard.
One are student, who will not be named due to her age, later reassured friends and family on social media, writing, “We’re alright now. Lockdown had been lifted. We’re ok.”
“They moved us into buildings and locked the doors so we were secure,” the juvenile reported.
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Hemet PD’s investigation is ongoing and anyone with information related to the shooting or who witnessed the incident and has not yet provided a statement is encouraged to contact Hemet PD at (951) 765-2400. Callers can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.
HEMET — A car to car shooting inside Hemet’s gated Willowalk community caused two nearby schools to be placed onto precautionary lock down earlier today, Tuesday, March 12.
Because the shooting happened within close proximity to West Valley High and Harmony Elementary schools, both campuses were reportedly locked down for a short period, while officers combed the area looking for two involved vehicles.
Official radio traffic indicated the suspect fled the area and had not been located as of this report. It was not immediately known if the victims of the shooting were located, but Hemet police officers did locate a crime scene and are in the process of recovering that evidence.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Hemet police officers were dispatched to the area of Waterside Dr. and Mustang Way shortly before 3:30 p.m., after an officer in the area reported hearing multiple shots fired in the area nearby.
Officers converged on the community from around the city, blocking each of the gated entrances and exits and began stopping and interviewing numerous juveniles, who were seen dispersing from the area where the shots had been fired.
Witness reported seeing a black male hanging out the window of a dark-colored or gray sedan while waving a gun in the air just before the shots were fired. Witnesses said the suspect vehicle fled the scene prior to the officers’ arrival.
As their investigation was getting underway officers found shell casings, broken glass, and other evidence related to the shooting, in the area of Waterside and Mustang.
Both school lock downs were lifted around 3:45 p.m., about 20 minutes after the initial report of gunshots heard.
One are student, who will not be named due to her age, later reassured friends and family on social media, writing, “We’re alright now. Lockdown had been lifted. We’re ok.”
“They moved us into buildings and locked the doors so we were secure,” the juvenile reported.
Hemet PD’s investigation is ongoing and anyone with information related to the shooting or who witnessed the incident and has not yet provided a statement is encouraged to contact Hemet PD at (951) 765-2400. Callers can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.
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