Ashlee Klepfer

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A pair of former northern Chautauqua County residents are tied to a North Carolina shootout last weekend that included the death of the shooter and two others.

On Wednesday, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit Investigators charged Ashlee Louise Klepfer, wife of the deceased suspect, Justin Strawser. Strawser was wearing a bulletproof vest and firing at deputies when he was killed in the shootout Saturday outside a home in Mooresville. The deputies and four minor children inside the home with Strawser weren’t hurt.

Deputies had responded to a call about shots fired at a different Mooresville home that Saturday, where they discovered two dead people inside the house and someone critically injured on the back porch. All three were found restrained and bound, and the third was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, the sheriff said.

The sheriff’s office said Strawser and the three who were shot knew each other, so it wasn’t a random home invasion. Narcotics and robbery were possible motives, the office added.

Four days later, Homicide Investigators obtained evidence in the case that determined Klepfer had some involvement by aiding her husband after the homicides were committed. Investigators determined Klepfer allowed the four juveniles inside her home to have access to firearms during the standoff.

Investigators obtained arrest warrants for Klepfer, charging her with felony accessory after the fact, four counts of misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and four counts of failure to secure firearms from a minor.

Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team deputies located Klepfer and arrested her during a traffic stop in Statesville. Also, in the vehicle with Klepfer was a 15-year-old male juvenile who was found in possession of a loaded handgun and methamphetamine.

The juvenile was also taken into custody, and a secure custody order was issued by the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Kelpfer received no bond due to being out of custody on unrelated charges.

Both Klepfer and Strawser were formerly residents of Silver Creek and Fredonia.

Over the weekend, Strawser had led deputies to approach the second home, where Strawser barricaded himself inside and began firing at them with the AR-15, the sheriff said.

With the house surrounded, sheriff’s office negotiators tried to get

Strawser to come out, according to Campbell. They also learned the four juveniles were inside, but the minors were uncooperative and refused rescue attempts, he added.

Authorities said some of the bullets fired by Strawser hit sheriff’s office vehicles. Strawser also told negotiators about his involvement in the deadly incident at the other house, according to the sheriff.

Deputies then used tear gas, spurring the children to flee the house and Strawser exited after them, wearing the bulletproof vest and firing at the deputies, according to the sheriff.

Deputies then shot back, killing Strawser. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three deputies were placed on administrative leave under the sheriff’s office’s standard policy.

The people killed at the first house were identified as two men, ages 22 and 24.