NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — The person who died in a Tuesday morning shooting at Horning's Hideout, a popular North Plains wedding venue, has been identified as a lieutenant with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (TVF&R), the agency confirmed to KGW.
A spokesperson for TVF&R said the agency is deeply saddened by the death of Carl Horning, 47, and is supporting the family during their grieving process. TVF&R flags were flown at half-staff on Wednesday due to his death.
Carl Horning was hired in 2011 with Washington County Fire District #2 as a firefighter, TVF&R said. He transferred to TVF&R as an apparatus operator five years later, then was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 2023.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office also confirmed Horning's identity Wednesday and said his brother, 63-year-old Robert Horning, is a person of interest in the case.
Deputies responded at 9:35 a.m. to Horning's Hideout on Northwest Brunswick Canyon Road and found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Though a deputy attempted first aid, Carl Horning died at the scene.
Deputies initially detained Robert Horning at the scene, according to WCSO. He was released from custody several hours later, WCSO said, but is considered a person of interest in the ongoing homicide investigation.
Horning's Hideout is an outdoor recreation center that hosts weddings and concerts and also offers fishing, disc golf, picnicking and camping. When KGW reached out for information, they said they had no events planned on Tuesday.
The Horning's Hideout website mentions that Robert (Bob) Horning is the son of Richard and Jane Horning, the couple who bought part of the property in the late 1950s. Members of the Horning family still own the property.
The brothers were embroiled in a conservatorship battle, according to a court petition filed in July. Carl Horning and his sister, LaDonna Elliot, asked a judge to appoint a conservator for their mother, Jane.
The 83-year-old Jane, the court documents said, displayed "evidence of age-related cognitive decline," including memory issues, and her six children had disagreements over how to care for her. The petition alleges Jane has been the victim of elder abuse, citing that she has "been at the center of tug-of-war in which one son asks her to sign legal documents, which she does, and then another son asks her to void them, which she does, and then back and forth.”
Jane was described as one of the owning members of Horning's Hideout, which had been valued at $1.7 million. The petition alleges that she does not understand the changes being made by her business partners and is "susceptible to coercion."
A Washington County judge approved the appointment of a conservator last year but hadn’t ruled on other issues in the case, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB).
This is a developing story and may be updated with more details as they emerge.
Download the KGW News app: Download for iPhone here | Download for Android here
Stream newscasts for free on KGW+ on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV: How to add app to your device here
See a typo in this article? Email web@kgw.com for corrections