OREGON CITY, OR — A Clackamas County man is facing attempted murder and other charges after deputies say he opened fire on tree-cutting workers and later shot at a police SWAT drone during a tense standoff captured on video. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 53-year-old Erik Gordon Shunn.
Deputies say the confrontation began Aug. 29 on South Rocky Bluff Lane in unincorporated Oregon City. No one was injured, but investigators believe Shunn fired more than 200 rounds during the incident and the hours that followed.
Deputies say the violence began when arborists arrived at the property
The sheriff’s office said deputies were called after a neighbor reported a man firing a weapon at workers who were cutting down trees. Witnesses estimated Shunn fired about 20 rounds at the tree-company employees, according to CCSO.
No injuries were reported among the workers. The confrontation, however, quickly escalated into a larger response as deputies and other units moved to the scene to assess the threat and try to contain the situation.
CCSO said the initial call centered on the safety of the arborists, but the amount of gunfire and the presence of an armed suspect made the case far more dangerous once law enforcement arrived.
SWAT, crisis negotiators and a drone team were sent to the scene
As the situation unfolded, SWAT and crisis negotiators joined the response. Deputies said the sheriff’s office drone team later spotted Shunn in the driveway, where he was using a tractor to knock down trees in what appeared to be an effort to build a barricade.
Investigators say Shunn also fired shots at the drone. The sheriff’s office released footage from the drone camera, showing the gunfire and the agency’s view of the standoff as it developed.
The video became a key piece of the public record after the sheriff’s office shared it following the arrest. It shows the drone being targeted while deputies worked to gain control of the scene.
Sheriff’s office video shows the SWAT vehicle pinning the tractor
CCSO also released additional footage showing a SWAT vehicle pinning the tractor against the house. Deputies said that move was part of the effort to end the standoff safely and stop Shunn from continuing to use the machinery as cover.
Authorities eventually took Shunn into custody. The sheriff’s office said his mother was also inside the home at the time, but she was not hurt.
The use of both a tractor and a barricade attempt gave deputies a more complicated scene than a typical armed call. Officials have not said how long the standoff lasted, but the sequence of drone and SWAT video shows the encounter moving from a gunfire complaint into a fortified confrontation.
Investigators say more than 200 shots were fired before and during the standoff
After reviewing the incident, investigators believe Shunn fired more than 200 rounds between the first confrontation with the arborists and the later SWAT standoff, according to CCSO. That figure suggests the scale of the gunfire was far greater than the initial reports from neighbors implied.
Deputies have not said what prompted the dispute with the tree-cutting workers or whether Shunn had any prior relationship with them. What is clear from the sheriff’s office account is that the situation remained active and dangerous long after the first shots were reported.
The combination of repeated gunfire, a possible barricade and an occupied home raised the risks for everyone present, including the responding officers and Shunn’s mother.
Court records show 11 charges, including attempted murder and weapons offenses
Online court records show Shunn was charged Aug. 31 on 11 counts, including attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful firearms possession, reckless endangerment and menacing. The case now moves into the court system after the sheriff’s office completed its initial response and investigation.
The charges reflect both the alleged shooting at the workers and the later gunfire during the standoff with law enforcement. Because the case is still moving through court, the allegations remain subject to the legal process.
For now, the sheriff’s office account centers on a brief neighborhood call that turned into a heavily armed confrontation, ended only after SWAT moved in and deputies took the suspect into custody.
From the Twin Cities to the border and back, Travel Your Way keeps Minnesota informed.