MEDFORD, Ore. (Apr. 24, 2026) — A Jackson County man has been sentenced to five years in prison after firing a shotgun at passing vehicles on Interstate 5 in a chaotic early-morning incident last summer, prosecutors said.
The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office said Devanta Bell Mader, 29, pleaded guilty last week to four counts of unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm, as well as one count each of first-degree criminal mischief with a firearm and driving under the influence of intoxicants.
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Laura Cromwell imposed the sentence under a plea agreement. Under Oregon law, Mader must serve a minimum of four years in prison with only limited reductions for good behavior, followed by two years of post-prison supervision. He had no prior criminal history.
Authorities said the charges stem from an incident shortly after 5 a.m. on July 19, 2025, near milepost 15 on Interstate 5 just north of Ashland. Mader crashed his vehicle and then began firing a shotgun at passing motorists.
One driver reported hearing a loud explosion and later found damage consistent with birdshot in the bed of his truck and near the rear window. Another motorist said she heard multiple gunshots and the sound of projectiles striking metal as she drove by.
During the incident, an Ashland police officer responding to the scene approached the East Main Street overpass on foot. As the officer neared the edge, partially concealed by trees and vegetation, he saw a muzzle flash and heard pellets strike branches above him, prompting him to take cover, according to prosecutors.
Mader later dropped the shotgun and fled into a nearby field, where officers apprehended him.
Investigators with the Oregon State Police found four spent shotgun shells outside Mader’s crashed vehicle, three of them loaded with birdshot. Inside the vehicle, troopers located additional ammunition, cocaine and mostly empty alcohol containers.
Prosecutors said Mader admitted to using a large amount of cocaine before the incident and exhibited signs of intoxication, including agitation, paranoia, rapid speech and an elevated heart rate. He told officers he believed people were trying to harm him and that he fired the weapon to make them stop.
As part of the plea agreement, charges of attempted murder and attempted assault against the responding officer were dismissed. Prosecutors said the decision reflected evidentiary challenges, including Mader’s intoxication and resulting hallucinations, as well as questions about whether he knew the person he fired toward was a police officer and whether he intended to kill or seriously injure him.
The officer involved was consulted and agreed with the resolution, according to the district attorney’s office.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
The case was prosecuted by Jackson County District Attorney Patrick Green.
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