On July 14, 2023, at about 4:30 PM, Novato officers responded to multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting gunfire near Martin Drive and Lovejoy Way. They found 47-year-old Ray Allen Mays unresponsive on a back porch of a residence and pronounced him dead at the scene; a dog at the location also appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds.

Investigators say Mays had been involved in a dispute with his 65-year-old roommate, Paul Dwight, over living arrangements. A firearm was recovered from the residence. Dwight was arrested and booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of murder and animal cruelty and held without bail. Another roommate was arrested on suspicion of obstructing and delaying a police investigation. The incident prompted street closures and a temporary shelter-in-place order for part of the neighborhood.

A forensic postmortem examination, including toxicology testing, was scheduled to determine exact cause and manner of death. Anyone with information is asked to contact Novato police investigators at 415-897-1122.