2 dead, CHP officer wounded in Lake County shooting rampage

This undated driver's license photo provided by the Lake County Sheriff's Office shows Alan Ashmore, 61, of Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Deadly shootings Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in a small lakeside Northern California community include at least one police officer, authorities said. less This undated driver's license photo provided by the Lake County Sheriff's Office shows Alan Ashmore, 61, of Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Deadly shootings Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in a small lakeside Northern California ... more Photo: Lake County Sheriff's Office Photo: Lake County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close 2 dead, CHP officer wounded in Lake County shooting rampage 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

A gunman was arrested Monday after opening fire at multiple locations in the Lake County town of Clearlake Oaks, killing two men and wounding a California Highway Patrol officer who confronted him, according to authorities.

According to police, the man, identified as Alan Ashmore, 61, is suspected of firing shots at a winery and several houses and gas stations during a rampage just days after a wildfire tore through the area and destroyed more than 150 homes while burning 2,207 acres, authorities said.

“There are a total of seven different crime scenes,” said Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin.

The first reports of gunfire were made about 11:20 a.m. and prompted a shelter-in-place order for residents and businesses near the Clearlake Oaks post office.

The two men killed were found on the 13000 block of Anchor Village in a residential neighborhood that Ashmore has a connection to, Martin said. Their names were not released.

“He’s got connections to the street somehow. I don’t know if he lives there,” Martin said.

A female resident was shot on the same street and the suspect allegedly fired into several other residences before shooting an unidentified person at a nearby gas station. The person was a certified concealed weapon holder and returned fire, shooting at Ashmore’s car, Martin said.

The shooter also fired at people at another gas station, but there were no known injuries at that location, Martin said.

Additionally, police received reports that the shooter fired his gun at the employees of a winery, but it’s unclear if there were any injuries.

A CHP officer responded to the incident and was shot in the leg, said Kory Reynolds, a public information officer at the highway patrol office in Kelseyville. The officer, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover, Reynolds added.

Two other people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are being treated at a local hospital, Martin said.

Deputies located Ashmore’s vehicle near High Valley Road, north of Clearlake Oaks, after receiving reports of a fire. Investigators are trying to determine whether Ashmore started the fire, Martin said.

Ashmore was taken into custody after a short pursuit ended when deputies and officers from Lakeport Police Department and CHP set up a roadblock near High Valley Road, Martin said.

He was arrested on two homicide counts and multiple other counts of assault with a firearm. Upon his arrest, police found several weapons in his car, and they believe Ashmore used at least one in the killings, Martin added.

A motive for the shooting was under investigation, Martin said. Ashmore was being questioned by investigators.

Martin said the gunman shot into different homes at three separate locations.

Pat Kelly, 52, of Clearlake Oaks was getting gas at a Chevron station near the Clearlake Oaks post office on the 13200 block of East Highway 20, a quarter mile from East Lake School, when the shooting broke out. He said he saw a sport utility vehicle come to a screeching halt and the gunman jump out and storm the gas station’s store.

“Oh, there was eight to 10 or a dozen gunshots in rapid succession,” Kelly told The Chronicle by phone. “There was another guy parked behind me. He was hiding behind his gas pump, and I was hiding behind my gas pump.”

Kelly said he got back into his car and sped away to another gas station about a mile away, only to find the shooter had resurfaced there.

“He was parked right there shooting that gas station up,” Kelly said, adding that he returned to the original gas station and met with police to answer questions.

Teresa Speakman, a bartender at Happy Garden, a restaurant in the area, said she received a message to shelter in place just before noon. About 1 p.m., Speakman said she could see numerous police officers at the nearby Chevron station, where the first shooting broke out. Residents were advised to stay “out of sight,” police said.

“It’s very active, taped off with yellow tape all the way around,” Speakman said.

Some of her customers demanded to leave while others, including Kelly, were “very concerned” and remained at the bar as police investigated, Speakman said.

“I was going to go for a boat ride and get a little gas and a little cash,” Kelly said of his plans for the day before they suddenly changed. “I don’t know if I was frightened, but I was real excited.”

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @SarRavani