Swift arrest made after Hemet murder

UPDATED: Friday, Sept. 18, 1 p.m., With additional information and arrest details.

Originally Published: Thursday, Sept. 17, 3:55 p.m.

HEMET, Calif. — Authorities allege a state prison parolee, who was out on bail for another recent assault with a deadly weapon charge, has been arrested after they say he fatally shot a man in Hemet early Wednesday morning, Sept. 16.

The deadly shooting happened on the 200 block of N. Elk St., between W. Latham and W. Devonshire avenues, according to officials.

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Hemet Police and Fire personnel were dispatched to the scene about 4:25 a.m., after receiving a 911 call reporting people arguing followed by a gunshot heard in the area, Hemet Police Lt. Nate Miller has since said of the deadly incident.

Despite life saving efforts, a 30-year-old man who was shot in the leg died after being rushed to an area hospital. A Perris man was arrested the following day, nearly 100 miles away in the Watts area of Los Angeles. SCNS photo

When officers and other emergency responders arrived they found a 30-year-old man with a critical gunshot wound to his leg and immediately began lifesaving measures at the scene.

Although AMR medics were initially transporting the victim to Riverside University Health System’s trauma center in Moreno Valley, they diverted to Hemet Valley Hospital when the man’s condition took a turn for the worst.

“Unfortunately, the victim died a short time later while at the hospital from his injuries,” reported Miller.

The victim’s name and hometown have not been released, pending further investigation and notification of the man’s family.

Hemet Police Department detectives assumed the homicide investigation and immediately began gathering details and information about the argument that led to the fatal encounter. Their investigation quickly led them to identifying Johnnie Joseph Paul Gatison, 36, of Perris as the alleged gunman.

“Within hours, the investigators tracked Gatison to a location in the Watts area of Los Angeles,” Miller explained in a follow up release to Wednesday’s shooting. 

Gatison was ultimately detained following a traffic stop on Lou Dillon Ave. in Los Angeles, about 100 miles from Hemet, according to the Lt.; who reported, “Hemet PD Investigators arrested Gatison for murder at about 10:30 p.m. last night and transported him back to Hemet.”

Johnnie Gatison, 36, of Perris – a state prison parolee, who was out on bail for another recent assault with a deadly weapon charge – has been arrested and charged in the shooting death of a 30-year-old man in Hemet. HPD photo

After his arrest, Gatison was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of multiple felonies; including first-degree murder, committing a felony while on bail, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and violating the terms of his parole.

Online jail records indicate Gatison remains in custody without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at an unspecified court on Sept. 22.

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“While an arrest has been made in this case, the investigation is far from over,” Miller has since said of the department’s ongoing investigation, while asking for more witnesses to come forward.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who witnessed the deadly shooting and has not yet provided a statement to authorities is encouraged to immediately contact Hemet PD Investigator Doug Klinzing at (951) 765-2400 or via email. Callers can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; 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 30 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 18 grandchildren.