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Sheriff's office to lead OIS investigation following Paso Robles active shooter incident

The FBI and DA's Office will assist
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Posted at 3:34 PM, Jun 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-17 01:36:52-04

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's will lead the investigation into last week's officer-involved shooting that left three officers injured Thursday and a shooting suspect dead.

The FBI and Santa Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office will assist.

Because multiple agencies were involved in the 36-hour-long incident that prompted a lockdown of downtown Paso Robles and shelter-in-place notifications in Templeton during the manhunt for suspect shooter Mason James Lira, it was not immediately known who would lead the investigation.

It started early Wednesday morning when Paso Robles police reported someone shooting at the department.

Sheriff Ian Parkinson said two sheriff's deputies who arrived at the scene together came under fire at 4:19 a.m. and one of the deputies was shot in the face. The second deputy reportedly returned fire at the shooter.

A Paso Robles man,identified as James Watson, who authorities found shot and killed on the tracks Wednesday morning, was also believed to have been a victim of Lira at the start of his shooting spree.

The search for the 26-year-old continued into Thursday afternoon where officers exchanged fire with the suspect once again.

Three officers from the California Highway Patrol, Arroyo Grande Police Department and King County Sheriff's Office were all shot but are expected to recover.

Lira was killed.

Few details about the investigation have been released.

The sheriff's office says it's believed Lira came to the area after being released from jail in Monterey County on June 3, after serving time for arrests in April and May.

Officials say Lira then stole two handguns during a commercial burglary in San Luis Obispo, which were believed to have been used in last week's shootings.

The Paso Robles Police Department is handling the investigation into the shooting death of Watson.