🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
The father of Mason James Lira—a 26-year-old suspect killed while exchanging gunfire with police in connection with a shooting ambush on a police station and a subsequent ambush that wounded several officers—says that his son has several mental illnesses that may explain his sudden alleged shooting spree.
While an initial report from the Associated Press cited a San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department spokesman as saying that Mason Lira, 26, was in police custody, the department has since said that Lira was killed during an exchange of gunfire in which he injured two more officers.
Newsweek reached out to San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department for further information. This story will be updated with any response.
On Wednesday near 4 a.m., Lira allegedly shot at the Paso Robles police station in central coastal California.
Two San Luis Obispo County sheriff's deputies sitting in a patrol car at the time of the attack heard gunshots, but didn't see Lira until both officers exited the vehicle. At that point, Lira allegedly began firing at them. Lira then allegedly shot a sheriff's deputy, 28-year-old Nicholas Dreyfus, in the face.
Dreyfus's partner exchanged gunfire with the shooter before dragging Dreyfus' body behind a police car. Dreyfus is reportedly in serious condition.
Lira allegedly wounded an Arroyo Grande police officer and several others who sought him around 3 p.m. the same day. The Arroyo Grande police officers' injuries have been described as "non-life-threatening.
Police believe Lira may also have shot a 58-year-old homeless man to death on nearby train tracks.
Lira's father, Jose, says his son has schizophrenia, Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and often thinks he's "a special agent or a soldier and may believe he is under attack or in a war zone."
"He lives in a fantasy world," Jose Lira said. "He doesn't have a beef with the police." Jose Lira called his son's repeated ambushes on police a possible suicide attempt.
Jose Lira said his son had lived on the streets for many years and had been in-and-out of jail and mental health facilities for most of his adult life, according to USA Today.
"With his mental health illness, he doesn't want to be in a room or house, he wanted to be on the streets," Jose Lira said. "The mental health here is useless... You can't force the mentally ill to take (medication). There are hundreds of Masons on our streets."
