A 67-year-old man was shot and killed by Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies after he fired a gun in his backyard and pointed it at the officers. The incident took place on Saturday evening in Orangevale, a suburb of Sacramento.
Kenneth Vaughn had reportedly fired shots through a neighboring fence and into a pool. When deputies arrived around 4:30 p.m., they evacuated nearby homes and advised residents to stay indoors. Deputies made contact with Vaughn, who claimed he had mobility issues and could not exit his home. He informed them that he was armed.
As negotiations continued, Vaughn expressed a willingness to come out if deputies helped him walk. However, he later closed all the blinds in his house and refused to surrender. At around 9:50 p.m., he fired a shot at the deputies, prompting one deputy to return fire, hitting Vaughn in the chest. He died at the scene.
A neighbor who witnessed the standoff described Vaughn as a quiet man who mostly kept to himself and had been receiving visits from caretakers. After the shooting, the neighbor spoke with Vaughn’s son, who indicated that Vaughn had struggled with drug and alcohol issues and that the family had been trying to get law enforcement to take away his weapons for years.
The incident has raised concerns in the community, with many expressing sadness over the tragic outcome. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, as authorities work to understand the events leading up to the confrontation.