Man shot dead, boy hurt in Santa Rosa

A man barged into the home of his estranged wife late Sunday in Santa Rosa and shot at his son and his friends to kill one person and injure two others — including his 4-year-old grandson, authorities said.

Officers received a call just after 8 p.m. from a woman reporting gunshots while hiding inside the bathroom of a home on the 400 block of Garfield Park Avenue, said Lt. John Cregan of the Santa Rosa Police Department.

Investigators said that Walter Ross, a 65-yearold Colorado resident, showed up unexpectedly at his estranged wife’s home in an attempt to confront her and started “blindly firing,” according to Cregan.

The shooter was armed with two handguns and had five improvised explosive devices in his bag, authorities said.

Ross’ wife, who wasn’t home at the time of the shooting, lived at the home with their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

The alleged shooter’s son, along with friends and family, was having a dinner party with nine people at the time.

Timothy Gillaspie, 43, attempted to shut the door on the gunman to prevent him from coming inside the house and was fatally shot five times in the torso, Cregan said.

“Mr. Gillaspie is a true innocent victim,” Cregan said. “Mr. Gillaspie was a hero.”

Gillaspie’s wife and two sons, 11 and 14, were also at the dinner party. They were not injured by gunfire.

Seven people fled from the residence as the shooter opened fire, including Ross’ 41-yearold son, who attempted to run away while holding his 4-year-old son, Cregan said.

Ross’ son was shot twice in the leg and a bullet grazed the side of his grandson’s head. Both have been released from the hospital, Cregan said.

Walter Ross was found inside the house with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and is in critical condition at a hospital, Cregan said.

Investigators believe that he was targeting his estranged wife, who wasn’t home at the time of the shooting, according to Cregan.

The couple separated two years ago and their divorce was expected to be finalized this month.

“There has been some animosity over alimony payments to his ex-wife and he’s been agitated,” Cregan said. “We are still interviewing family members and still gathering the true motive of what this crime was.”

Ross’ car was found parked in the neighborhood and it was apparently “boobytrapped” with an incendiary device set up to explode if an officer opened the door, Cregan said.