On the morning of Saturday, December 6, 2025, 17-year-old Spencer Browne was killed on the southbound shoulder of U.S. 395 in Lassen County near the Chilcoot–Vinton area, not far from the Nevada line. A roadside stop involving two vehicles with multiple passengers escalated into a confrontation that ended when gunfire erupted; a California Highway Patrol officer from the Portola Resident Post arrived as the shooting began. Spencer and his father, Richard Browne, were pronounced dead at the scene; investigators described both deaths as homicides from multiple gunshot wounds.

Authorities identified Reno resident Isacc Anthony Pedroza as the suspect and filed a criminal complaint alleging two counts of murder, an allegation that a firearm was personally discharged, and a separate charge related to transporting an assault weapon. Pedroza entered a not guilty plea at arraignment in Lassen Superior Court, with the next court date set for December 17, 2025. Officials said the incident was not road rage, not gang-related, and not officer-involved, and they declined to release additional details while the investigation remained active.

Anyone who has information about the confrontation on U.S. 395 near the Long Valley Agricultural Inspection Station is asked to contact the Quincy CHP office.