Drunken downtown Redding disturbance ends with gunfire, suspect’s arrest

October 10, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities arrested a local man after a drunken downtown Redding disturbance that resulted in a shooting early Saturday morning, Oct. 9.

No injuries were reported after the shooting, which happened in the area of Foundry Square, near California and Placer streets, according to officials.

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City of Redding police officers were conducting routine patrol in the downtown area around 1:40 a.m. when they heard gunfire and saw people running from the area, Redding Police Corporal Regan Ortega has since said of the incident and arrest.

Officers converged on the area and located a crime scene in a parking lot, where they discovered a spent shell casing and live ammunition strewn about

Officers detained several people found at the scene and during their subsequent investigation learned that a disturbance between several people had occurred in the parking lot, according to Ortega. Following the initial disturbance, a man later identified as Solomon Lewis, 22, of Anderson, fired one round into the air from a Glock 9mm handgun and then concealed the loaded firearm in his vehicle.

During questioning Lewis, who was found to be intoxicated, admitted to having a loaded gun inside his vehicle, but denied having fired it. However, witness statements and surveillance footage obtained by officers revealed he had retrieved the handgun from his car and discharged one round before placing the weapon back into his vehicle where it was later recovered.

Based on their investigation, officers arrested Lewis and he was booked into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm, possession of a concealed loaded firearm and public intoxication.

Online jail records indicate he has since been released from custody.

Anyone with further information about this incident and investigation is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department at 530-225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R066318 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

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.