Two Men Killed Near Ashland In 'Random, Senseless Series Of Events'

ASHLAND, OR — A California man was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate-5 last Saturday as he fired rifle rounds at oncoming traffic, and after he reportedly killed the cook at a nearby hotel, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

Jackson County Sheriff's officials identified the slain gunman as 50-year-old Neal Brian Norman of Pacific Grove, California.

Police say Norman was heading north to visit family when his 1999 Honda Accord ran out of gas near Callahan's Mountain Lodge, a 60-year-old highway hotel popular among California tourists and Pacific Crest Trail hikers, located about 11 miles south of Ashland.

Donna Bergquist, Callahan's co-owner, told OregonLive reporters her husband Ron went to the lodge's lobby around 5:30 a.m. Sept. 30 to pick up a newspaper, and there he saw Norman using the lobby phone. According to Bergquist, it sounded like Norman needed gas.

"Ron didn't think a lot of it. In fact, he thought he might be one of our guests," Bergquist told OregonLive. "(Ron) picked up his paper and went back to his quarters."

After using the phone, Norman reportedly went back to his Honda for a short period before returning to the lodge around 6:30 a.m. armed with a rifle. Entering the building, Norman went straight to the kitchen and shot 40-year-old Ashland resident Ryan Paul Bagley, killing him. After taking Bagley's car keys, Norman then reportedly left the lodge in Bagley's 1993 Subaru Legacy wagon.

Around 6:50 a.m., Norman pulled the Subaru into the middle of southbound I-5, just north of the 1-mile marker at the Oregon/California border, exited the vehicle and began shooting at oncoming cars.

Though multiple motorists called 911 to report a man in the roadway, police believe 49-year-old Thomas Bradley Moxon and his unidentified juvenile passenger were the first to approach Norman.

Moxon, an Eagle Point resident, stopped when he first saw the Subaru in the road, police said. But after Norman fired at Moxon, striking his 2015 Ram Crew Cab at least three times, Moxon reportedly drove forward, hitting and killing Norman with the truck.

Moxon then drove a short distance before calling 911 at around the exact same time Callahan's staff were calling 911 to report Bagley's murder, police said. No charges are being filed against Moxon at this time.

Detectives who spoke with Norman's family reportedly said he was suffering from undiagnosed mental health issues, but were otherwise surprised by the news.

Bagley, a father of two, reportedly began working at the lodge just this past June, and by all accounts he was well-liked by staff and management. Police said there's no indication Bagley and Norman knew each other, and that Norman likely saw Bagley in the lodge parking lot when Bagley arrived to work Saturday morning.

Bergquist started a GoFundMe account to help Bagley's family with childcare and funeral expenses. With a goal of $10,000, 30 people had donated more than $1,000 in one day.

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