Rural California man shot wife, 2 girls

SHINGLETOWN, Calif. (AP) ? Authorities in rural Northern California on Wednesday were searching for a man suspected of fatally shooting his wife and two young daughters at their home.

Shane Franklin Miller, 45, was on the loose a day after the killings in Shingletown, Shasta County sheriff's officials said.

"There is a manhunt for him right now," Lt. Dave Kent said. "He's a prime suspect. We're not looking for anybody else."

Schools in the rural community of about 2,000 people about 230 miles northeast of San Francisco were under lockdown, The Record Searchlight of Redding reported (http://bit.ly/18WtPDn ).

Kent said deputies received a call from Miller's residence around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, they found the bodies of Miller's wife, Sandy, 34, and two daughters, Shelby, 8, and Shasta, 4. Shane Miller wasn't there.

Kent said he did not know who placed the call.

Investigators have released a photo of Miller and said he may be driving a gold-colored 2010 Dodge Mega Cab pickup with a camper shell. He's considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Miller may be heading to a cabin in coastal Humboldt County, where authorities have said several weapons may be stored.

Initially, authorities believed the cabin was in Ferndale, about 180 miles west of Shingletown, a drive of nearly four hours over rural highways.

But Kent said Wednesday evening he could not confirm the location, and Ferndale Police Chief Bret Smith said there was a residence in nearby Petrolia, not Ferndale, where Miller has stayed in the past.

Lt. Steve Knight, a Humboldt County sheriff's spokesman, said authorities there were working with Shasta County sheriff's officials, but he declined to provide any details about the search.

The two-story house that authorities were called to is nestled among pine trees with a barn and greenhouse in the back, The Record Searchlight reported. Horses and llamas graze on the property near the Lassen National Forest.

Kent said deputies were called there last month regarding a domestic dispute.

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Information from: Record Searchlight, http://redding.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sheriff-rural-california-man-shot-wife-2-girls-220940580.html

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