OR Volunteer Firefighter Fatally Shot Preparing for Call

An Oregon volunteer firefighter was fatally shot while getting ready to go out on a call Thursday.

Josephine County sheriff's deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call shortly after 10:15 a.m. concerning a shooting at a house in Cave Junction, KDRV-TV reports. Once at the scene, deputies found a man dead at the house's back door, as well as signs of gun play.

The victim was volunteer firefighter Devin Tandy, John Holmes, chief of the Illinois Valley Fire District, wrote in an online update. Tandy had been shot and killed while he was preparing to respond to a call, Holmes said.

"He had been a valued member of our team since January 2020 and will be missed. … With (Tandy's) passing, some of you lost a friend, a neighbor; or maybe you lost the man that helped save your house from the fire that came to close. Whoever Devin was to you, please respect that memory. Honor it. Those of us, in the Fire Service, lost a Brother." the chief added.

Deputies discovered that the victim's vehicle had been stolen from the house and issued an alert. A suspect was stopped in the vehicle near Crescent City, CA, and was taken into custody, according to KDRV.

Deymon Edwards, 22, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, robbery, unlawful use of a vehicle and theft. Oregon Sate Police are continuing to investigate the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding Tandy's death, KDRV added.