Oregon Mayor Charged With Attempted Murder In Alleged Road Rage Shooting

Dowen Jones, the mayor of Rufus, allegedly opened fire on a car with two children, ages 5 and 8, inside.
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The mayor of a small Oregon town has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting at a vehicle carrying children during a road rage incident.

Dowen Jones, the 47-year-old mayor of Rufus, was arrested Tuesday.

A family of four that included two children, ages 5 and 8, were traveling on Highway 281 near Parkdale Monday morning and “following behind an SUV that was driving erratically,” the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The SUV, driven by Jones, pulled over and the family slowed down to get a vehicle description.

“As the family passed the suspect vehicle, a male subject stepped out of the passenger side and fired multiple rounds from a handgun at the passing family,” the statement said.

Jones allegedly struck the vehicle, but no one was injured. Police identified and arrested him the next day.

Jones, elected mayor of the less than 300-person town in 2018, was charged with one count of attempted murder and four counts of attempted assault.

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