CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Authorities are investigating an early Monday morning shooting that injured two people and which appears to have been connected to marijuana.

Just after 5:30 a.m. Monday Clearlake Police officers were dispatched to the 15900 Block of 20th Avenue for a report of an unknown type of disturbance, according to Sgt. Martin Snyder.

Snyder said the reporting party was a Spanish-speaking female who asked for officers to respond but was unable to identify why police presence was requested.

Officers arrived on scene and discovered that there were two shooting victims who had left the residence and went to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for treatment. Snyder said officers responded to the hospital and located a male and female who were both victims of apparent gunshot wounds.

The victims were a male and female, both Clearlake residents. Due to the nature of the incident their identification is being withheld for safety reasons, Snyder said.

The female victim had a gunshot wound to the arm and the male had a gunshot wound to his face. The female's injuries were treated at S. Helena Hospital Clearlake and she was later released, according to Snyder.

Snyder said the male shooting victim was transported via air ambulance to a trauma hospital in Sonoma County for medical treatment as his injuries were more severe. As of Wednesday afternoon, the male was in stable condition.

The female victim advised two unknown masked males had broken into the residence by kicking open the front door. They identified themselves as being from an out-of-county law enforcement agency, Snyder said.

He said the victims advised that the two male subjects attempted to assault them while they were inside the residence near the rear bedroom. During a struggle the subjects shot through the bedroom entry door, injuring the two victims.

Snyder said the two masked subjects fled the scene in what witnesses believed was a smaller vehicle, possibly a Honda accord or Honda Civic with modified exhaust.

The two subjects were described by the victims as black males. The female victim reported that both were wearing ski masks and gloves to conceal their identity, Snyder said.

Snyder said that, at this time, there is minimal suspect information.

He said the residence and scene of the shooting were secured and a search warrant was obtained for the property.

Detectives with the Clearlake Police Department were on scene for several hours processing the crime scene. The residence was then turned back over to family members later Monday evening, Snyder said.

During the processing of the scene there were several indicators of large scale marijuana production occurring on the property, Snyder reported.

Snyder said the victims were unable to identify a motive but investigators believed it was regarding marijuana cultivation or related activities which were occurring on the property.

Any person with information in relation to this case is encouraged to contact Det. Ryan Peterson at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 320.
 
The Clearlake Police Department encourages citizens to be vigilant to subjects impersonating police officers at their residences.

Snyder said citizens can ask the officers to produce identification as to their law enforcement credentials or call the local law enforcement agency to verify the contact.