One man is dead and one in hospital with gunshot wounds after an altercation got out of hand at a party in the woods in Covelo Saturday morning.

Killed was Jason Ray McLean, 23, of Covelo. Wounded is Andrew Timothy Card, 22, of Covelo.

According to the Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies and Round Valley tribal police at the scene, a party along Murphy Ridge Road on Redwood Empire Lumber Company land came to a sudden end at about 4:30 a.m. when the two young men pulled guns on each other. According to deputies, McLean had a high powered hunting rifle and witnesses say he shot Card first, after an argument about a tree Card had cut down during the party. Then, according to witnesses, Card either went for a handgun or had the handgun on him and shot McLean.

Card suffered injuries to the abdomen and arm, but officials say they don't know whether they were two separate wounds or one entry wound and one exit wound. He was airlifted out of the area to a medical facility, thought to be in the Sacramento area.

McLean had multiple gun shot wounds to the leg, upper arm and side. Officials speculate that the bullet wound to the leg may have hit an artery. McLean died at the scene.

Witnesses told police that the two men had a prior history after a stabbing incident between them at the Covelo fairgrounds a year and a half ago. However it was generally thought that they had put that behind them.

Deputies say that, as of now, no other suspects are in their view. They are
still piecing together what happened.

There was lots of drinking going on, with the scene covered with beer boxes and scattered beer cans. Also lots of bullet casings.

According to deputies, after being shot, Card attempted to leave the scene with a woman who almost immediately drove the Ford truck they were exiting in over an embankment and the truck flipped over into a dry creek bed. Then a third person drove both of them into Covelo where they got help at the volunteer fire department and an air ambulance was called. The woman involved was no longer at the scene and was apparently on her way also to the hospital where Card was being taken.

The handgun has not yet been found although deputies found a magazine of live ammunition by the flipped truck.