Full Notification

On Sunday, September 7, 2025, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the Petaluma Police Department Dispatch Center received a report of a subject who had armed himself with a firearm following a disturbance with family members. The subject was identified as Ronald Shipley (88, Petaluma).

Responding officers arrived at the residence in the 1300 block of Marian Way and learned that the subject had exited the home and was in the backyard with the firearm. A drone was deployed, which captured the subject firing a single round while in the backyard.

Officers immediately worked to evacuate the occupants of the residence, leaving the subject alone at the residence. After several hours of attempted negotiations, officers entered the residence and safely took Shipley into custody. The investigation determined that Shipley had fired a round into the residence while it was still occupied. He was later booked into the Sonoma County Jail on a charge of Penal Code 246 PC- shooting at an inhabited dwelling.

A subsequent search of the residence was conducted with the assistance of Canine Pinky, a Labrador/Pointer mix specially trained to detect the odor of firearms and ammunition. Canine Pinky alerted to the location where the firearm was concealed, and officers recovered the weapon believed to have been used in this incident.

The Petaluma Police Department would like to thank the Department of Fish and Game, the California Highway Patrol and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance, including Henry-1, providing air support.

Media inquiries maybe directed to Lt. Matthew Parnow at [email protected] or phone (707) 778-4372. Case Number 25-3111.