40-Year-Old Ashland Resident Killed in Suspected Targeted Shooting

Ashland, Oregon– A 40-year-old Ashland man was fatally shot early Sunday morning in what investigators say was a targeted attack.

Ashland Police officers and paramedics from Ashland Fire & Rescue were dispatched around 3:38 a.m. to the area of ‘A’ Street and North 2nd Street after reports of a person lying on the ground next to a vehicle. Officers found the victim, later identified as Matthew Mark Vandersande, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Detectives activated the Jackson County Major Assault/Death Investigation Unit, bringing in resources from the Medford Police Department, Oregon State Police, Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office, Jackson County District Attorney’s Office and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab.

According to investigators, Vandersande was inside his parked vehicle on ‘A’ Street when an unidentified suspect approached and fired multiple rounds, striking him several times. Security footage from nearby businesses shows the suspect, dressed in dark clothing, fleeing east on ‘A’ Street toward North Pioneer Street.

Police said the shooting does not appear to have been random and there is no indication of an ongoing public threat.

Authorities are asking anyone with information or surveillance footage from the area between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. to contact Detective Sgt. Rick Spence at 541-552-2172 or the Ashland Police Department Tip Line at 541-552-2333.

Investigators noted that many in the Ashland community knew Vandersande by his vehicle and released a photo of it to aid in the investigation.

“Our condolences go out to the victim’s friends and family in this difficult time,” police said in a statement.