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Gunman Who Murdered Mother, Went On Shooting Spree On Tractor, Killed By Police
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A Simi Valley man who killed his mother, then set their house on fire, fled on a tractor and went on a shooting rampage, was shot and killed by police on Saturday.
Police say 29-year-old Ryan Carnan killed his mother, 67-year-old Sally Carnan. The former Army veteran had a history of mental disease and police had been called out for incidents in 2008, according to CBS 7.
His brother called police around 5 p.m. on Saturday saying that Ryan had admitted to shooting their mother. When police arrived, they found the home in the 1100 block of Mellow Lane engulfed in flames. After firefighters extinguished the blaze, Sally Carnan’s body was found inside.
"The cause of death of the female is still under investigation and is pending an autopsy by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office,” Cmdr. Stephanie Shannon told CBS.
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While officers were at the home, police dispatchers started receiving calls from residents reporting a man driving a tractor and shooting a gun, LA Daily News reports.
Officers opened fire and killed Carnan in the 500 block of Azure Hills Drive. A handgun was recovered at the scene, officials said. Fortunately, no one else was shot or injured.
Dave Phillips, who lives down the hill, told LA Daily News that he heard shots and even saw a saw a stray bullet go through the trees and hit something behind his house. "I heard the shot and could actually see leaves going sideways out of the tree," Phillips said.
Phillips later heard Carnan’s brother talking to a police officer at the scene, "I overheard the brother say ‘he killed my mom’ and something to the effect that he’s fearful he was going to kill others or that he’s not done."
The brother seemed "completely distraught, he was in tears, he was shaking,” Phillips said. “I spent 10 or 15 minutes with him over the next hour, as did [another neighbor] just trying to console him.”
Valerie Herzig, who lives four houses down from the Carnans and who also heard the gun shots, called the incident "very untypical" for the quiet neighborhood. "Our biggest concerns are usually chickens and llama keeping,” she told the LA Daily News. “Our neighbors all have chickens, llamas, horses, and kids walking their sheep, getting ready for the fair...Those are usually our biggest conflicts.”
Sally Carnan worked in the attendance office of Santa Susana High School, where counselors will be available today, police said.
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