5-year-old girl shot to death in Oregon

John Meyer Jr.



GRANTS PASS, OR (KPTV) -- A 5-year-old girl died after she was shot by a man in a Grants Pass apartment Thursday night.

Grants Pass police arrested 30-year-old Jon Meyer Jr., whom they described as a transient, in connection with the girl's death. He's being held on charges of second-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault and unlawful possession of a machine gun.

Officers first responded to the report of shots fired at 1017 NW C St. around 9 p.m.

Police and firefighters quickly found the 5-year-old girl, began to treat her gunshot wounds, and then rushed her to Three Rivers Hospital by ambulance. She died a short time later.

A second victim, a 44-year-old woman, also suffered gunshot wounds. She is now in stable condition at Three Rivers Hospital.

Police said their investigation showed Meyer fired his gun from the downstairs portion of the apartment. The two victims were in the upper level of the same apartment when they were shot.

Meyer is being held in the Josephine County Jail, and he's expected to be arraigned Friday afternoon.

Officers haven't said how many times the girl and the woman were shot. They also haven't said why Meyer was in the apartment, or whether the victims lived there.

Police said it's still early in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety at 541-450-6260.

Grants Pass is located in Southern Oregon, and is about one hour north of the California border.