Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan reports on August 11, 2024, at approximately 11:40 a.m., the Linn County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received several calls reporting a male who shot a gun at another male in front of the Dollar General, located on Santiam Boulevard in Mill City. One of the callers was an employee of the Dollar General and reported they locked the store and were hiding in the office with co-workers and customers. This location is in Marion County, but the city of Mill City has a contract with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office to patrol and respond to calls for this area.
A deputy with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the dollar general within minutes of the calls. The deputy located the victim, a 22-year-old male from Mill City, who reported to have been shot at. The victim was uninjured. When the deputy arrived, the suspect had already left the area in a black Jeep that was pulling a trailer. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance in locating the Jeep from the Oregon State Police who had troopers patrolling the area. Troopers from the Oregon State Police located the suspect vehicle in the 11000 block of Steinkamp Road near Aumsville and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Troopers detained the occupants of the vehicle including Travis Scott Johnson, 39, of Amity, who was later identified as the person who shot the gun.
Investigators were able to determine Travis Johnson had stopped at the Dollar General and got into a verbal argument with the victim who was unknown to Johnson. During the verbal argument, Johnson pulled out a 9mm pistol and fired one round toward the victim. Investigators seized a SCCY 9mm handgun from the Jeep and a spent casing at the scene. Travis Johnson was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail for the crimes of Attempted Murder, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Menacing, Disorderly Conduct, and Tampering with Physical Evidence.