An alcohol-fueled social gathering on the Yokayo Rancheria outside Ukiah turned violent early Friday morning when the host allegedly assaulted another man and shot him in the head, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said.
The suspect, Angelo Want, 21, reportedly took out a handgun, stood over his guest and fired a single round at his head, sheriff’s Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said.
But the bullet grazed the victim’s scalp and he did not suffer any life-threatening injuries, officials said.
The victim, said to be around 19, has not been identified because of concerns about retaliation, Smallcomb said. He resides in another area of Mendocino County and is not from the Yokayo Rancheria, he said.
The incident unfolded around 1 a.m. at the Yokayo Ranch Road house shared by Want with his mother and four or five younger siblings, including some young children, Smallcomb said.
It remained unclear what caused tempers to flare, Smallcomb said. The injured man was able to get to Ukiah Valley Medical Center and was receiving treatment when authorities were alerted.
Deputies approached Want’s home around 6 a.m. and released a police dog when they saw the man run from a rear entry, Smallcomb said. Want may have been bitten by the dog, he said.
Deputies saw Want run naked into a vineyard and some trees along the Russian River but were unable to catch him, authorities said.
He “obviously wasn’t armed when we last saw him,” Smallcomb said, and a 38-caliber revolver believed to have been used in the shooting has been recovered, the sheriff’s office said.
Residents were alerted through automated emergency notification phone calls to be on the lookout for Want, even as authorities continued searching the area.
Want was on felony probation and is now wanted for violation of probation and suspected attempted murder, authorities said.
Anyone who sees him should call the Mendocino County sheriff’s dispatch at (707) 463-4086.
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