Man shot multiple times after money-related argument between Hemet roommates erupts into violence
HEMET Calif., — Authorities say a disagreement between roommates turned violent and led to one of the men chasing and shooting the other man multiple times in a Hemet residential neighborhood late Wednesday afternoon, March 2.
Both men were taken to area hospitals for treatment after the violent encounter, which happened in the 300 block of W. Kimball Avenue, between Gilbert and State streets, and the alleged gunman was later booked into jail on multiple felony charges.
This shooting followed barely twenty minutes after another Hemet shooting that happened just a mile away, when Sheriff’s deputies and CHP officers of the Riverside County Gang Task Force opened fire on a wanted, firearm-wielding felon who had fled from them during an attempted warrant service. The man, who was struck by the officers’ and deputies’ gunfire, was wanted on three felony warrants for carjacking, robbery, drugs, and weapons charges, and was later booked into jail on nearly two dozen mostly felony charges.
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City of Hemet police and fire personnel were dispatched to the area around 4:30 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a disturbance with shots fired, Hemet Police Lieutenant Nate Miller has since said of the incident and arrest, saying, “Callers to 911 heard gunshots and saw someone running out of one of the apartments in the area with a gun in his hand.”
When officials arrived, they found a 42-year-old male who had been shot multiple times and paramedics immediately began treating him at the scene.
Reports of shots fired with a man chasing another man led to a large-scale response and the apprehension of the alleged gunman. Hemet Valley Incidents photo
As the officials were tending to the gunshot victim, the suspected shooter, a felon who was still in the same general area and was last seen with the firearm used in the shooting, was spotted by officers at the scene. After the victim confirmed it was the person who had shot him, other officers converged on the area to assist in apprehending him.
“Within seconds, the shooting suspect … was taken into custody by responding Hemet PD officers,” said Miller.
Once in custody, the shooting suspect, Donte Trimell Cooper, 39, of Hemet, was found to have visible injuries to his face and head from the earlier disturbance that led to the shooting.
SEE RELATED: Wanted firearm-wielding Hemet carjacking suspect shot by Gang Task Force officials during apprehension
Both men were taken to area hospitals for treatment and the shooting victim is expected to survive.
During their subsequent investigation, officers learned that the two men were roommates and had been arguing throughout the day over money issues.
“At some point, one of the men hit the other in the face/head and began running,” Miller went on to explain, saying, “The other man chased after the man and then shot him several times.”
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Trio of teens nabbed after high-speed pursuit ends with crash into San Jacinto business
Solo-vehicle crash into parked construction vehicle in Riverside leaves local man, 28, dead
Based on their investigation, officers arrested Cooper and after receiving medical care for his injuries he was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder and discharging a firearm resulting in great bodily injuries, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail or bond.
Anyone with further information or who saw all or part of yesterday’s incident or what may have led up to it is urged to immediately contact Hemet Police Sergeant Gabe Gomez at (951) 765-2396 or [email protected].
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS), which act as stringer-news providers for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.
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.
I bet this this is the same guys who rob depot deli at gun point…