Man who threatened state Capitol was alleged shooter outside Roseville hospital and in Citrus Heights
Authorities say the man suspected of making a “credible threat” of a shooting at the California state Capitol allegedly carried out shootings in Citrus Heights and outside a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Roseville on Wednesday night.
The gunfire at the Roseville hospital struck the side of the Women’s & Children’s Center building, but no injuries were reported. Authorities have said nobody was struck by gunfire in either incident as authorities launched a manhunt for the suspect, who was identified by multiple law enforcement agencies as Jackson Pinney, a 30-year-old from the Bay Area.
About 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Citrus Heights police received a call from someone inside a business asking for police to respond to investigate a murder; then the phone call was disconnected
Witnesses at the Citrus Heights business told officers the caller drove away in a gold-colored truck and fired several rounds as he left the parking lot, the Citrus Heights Police Department announced about 11:30 a.m. Thursday in a news release. Nobody was hit by that gunfire.
Within a few minutes, Citrus Heights police received reports of a another shooting from a truck near Auburn Boulevard and Twin Oaks Avenue, just north of the first shooting location. Police said several bullets struck a business and a detached structure in the second shooting.
Several minutes later, officers determined that the suspect in both Citrus Heights shootings was in a 2002 gold-colored Ford F-150 with standard-cab pickup with a black soft tonneau cover with California license plate number 6V04299, according to the Police Department.
Police said the gold pickup is registered to Pinney, who is a resident of Hayward, and Pinney’s Department of Motor Vehicles photograph matched the description of the suspect provided by witnesses.
Additionally, the California Highway Patrol said a 1996 white Acura Integra, California license plate 6FWU532, was connected to Pinney.
The shooting suspect drove away north on Auburn Boulevard toward Roseville and continued to fire gunshots from his vehicle in the minutes that followed, police said.
Roseville police officers were notified about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday that a suspect driving through Citrus Heights shooting from his vehicle. About 10 minutes later, Roseville officers responded to a shots fired call in the area of Douglas and Sunrise boulevards matching the description of the suspect vehicle.
Shortly after, Roseville officers received a call reporting shots were fired from a vehicle in the area of Eureka Road and Douglas Boulevard near the hospital, the Roseville Police Department announced in a social media post. The suspect was reportedly firing a gun while driving out of the parking lot.
Officers arrived and determined that two bullets struck the exterior of the building at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, but nobody was hit or injured, police said. Authorities placed a lockdown at the hospital which was later lifted. Police said the bullets did not enter the building.
The area was determined to be safe, the Police Department announced late Wednesday. Officers remained in the area to conduct an investigation. The Police Department on Thursday released the same description of the shooting suspect, asking the public to help find “an armed and dangerous suspect.”
“At this time, we believe this suspect may also be related to an incident at the State Capitol,” Roseville police announced Thursday in a news release. “We are working in coordination with Citrus Height Police Department and the California Highway Patrol to further investigate the incident. This remains an active an ongoing investigation.”
The state Capitol building in downtown Sacramento was evacuated for several minutes Thursday morning due to reported “credible threats” made against the Capitol, the CHP said. By 10:30 a.m., however, movement around the Capitol, including a school group touring the building, carried on as normal.
The man accused in the Sacramento area shootings Wednesday was arrested two years ago in Stanislaus County after he reportedly caused disturbances at two businesses while apparently high on drugs.
The Ceres Courier reported in April 2021 that Pinney, then 28 years old and an Oakdale resident, was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and resisting arrest. The Ceres Police Department said at the time that Pinney acted aggressively during an argument with employees at Big 5 Sporting Goods store, before grabbing store merchandise and leaving. Police said Pinney was found at a Togo’s sandwich shop, where resisted arrest.
Authorities asked anyone who spots Pinney not to approach him and call 911 immediately. Anyone with information regarding the suspect or the suspect vehicle to call the Roseville Police Department at 916-774-5000 or the Citrus Heights Police Department tip line at 916-727-5524.
The Bee’s Sam Stanton contributed to this story.
