Stephan James Slivka Jr., a 66-year-old male resident of Yucaipa, California, died on April 8, 2026, after a shooting inside a home on the 12000 block of Bryant Street. Online sources did not provide his race or ethnicity. What began as a medical aid call around 12:15 p.m. quickly became a homicide investigation when San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies arrived and found Slivka and 68-year-old Rodney Lee Chanadet both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division, Homicide Detail, took over the case after the bodies were discovered. According to the sheriff’s reported findings, detectives believe Slivka and Chanadet had exchanged gunfire before Slivka succumbed to his injuries. Chanadet, who had also been wounded, then reportedly shot himself. Authorities classified the incident as a suicide/homicide, and local reporting described it as an apparent murder-suicide.
No surviving suspect was reported, and no arrests were announced. Rodney Lee Chanadet was identified as the other decedent and the person investigators believe exchanged gunfire with Slivka before taking his own life. Because Chanadet died at the scene, the available reports do not indicate any criminal charges, court proceedings, trial, or conviction connected to the case.
The investigation remained ongoing after the initial release of information. Authorities asked anyone with knowledge of what happened inside the Bryant Street residence to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Detail. Anonymous tips were also requested through We-Tip. As of the available online reporting, the public explanation of the case rests on the sheriff’s account: two Yucaipa men were found dead after a fatal exchange of gunfire, with detectives concluding that Slivka died from his wounds and Chanadet died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being shot.
