Coconino County Sheriff’s Investigators Looking Into An Incident Involving Gunshots Thursday In Ashfork

Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a home in Ashfork on a report of shots fired in the area of Randall Boulevard. Officials say several people reported hearing multiple shots, possibly fired from two different weapons on Thursday night at around 10:56 p.m. Authorities say 68-year-old William Barentine was in the area and was possibly fired upon while checking a neighbors’ vacant property for smoke. He said he was verbally confronted by an unknown man, who fired at least one shot. The man fired multiple shots in the air before he left the area. Investigators talked to a second person, 58-year-old Norman Fagundes, who is a ranch hand and was camping on the property with permission of the owner. He says he saw a person in a vehicle who he thought was going to commit a theft. He yelled at the person and told him to leave. Fagundes fired a round into the air after a short argument to warn off the person. The person fired multiple shots in the air in response. That person was Barentine. Neither party could identify the other due to it being dark and it’s not known if the two knew each other. No one was injured in the exchange. The case is under investigation.