Deputies fatally shoot gunman after Lancaster neighborhood shootout

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies fatally shot a 60-year-old man March 15 after he opened fire on neighbors with a shotgun and then turned his weapons on responding officers on the 23300 block of East Avenue M in Lancaster, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released 911 audio and body camera footage of the shooting Friday, nearly seven weeks after the incident, providing a public account of how deputies responded to an active-shooter call in the Antelope Valley.

Deputies responded to a report of gunfire in the afternoon, where the man had opened fire on neighbors with a shotgun. Two people were struck by shotgun pellets and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

In 911 audio released by ABC7, one caller described the scene in real time: "The neighbor is shooting. Oh my God. Hurry up, he's coming back to me... He has a gun and alcohol, and I'm scared to death." The caller later told the dispatcher, "Oh my God. I'm going to die," and at another point cried out, "Please, someone help me. He's walking on my property."

By the time deputies arrived, the gunman had fled roughly one mile into the surrounding desert. Officers tracked him to a fenced property, where he had taken position behind a travel trailer. He refused commands to surrender and opened fire on deputies, who returned fire.

The man then retreated to a makeshift shack on the property. When he emerged again, deputies fired and struck him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

No deputies were injured during the exchange. The gunman was found to have been armed with both a shotgun and a handgun during the confrontation.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released the 911 recordings and body camera footage Friday as part of its disclosure of the March 15 incident. The gunman's identity was not included in the ABC7 Los Angeles report.