Active shooter at California fire station kills 1, wounds another before taking own life
AGUA DULCE, California — – Authorities said an off-duty firefighter fatally shot a fellow Los Angeles County firefighter and wounded another at their fire station on Tuesday before barricading himself at his home nearby, where he was later found dead.
Fire Chief Daryl Osby said at a late afternoon news conference that a 44-year-old fire specialist died in shooting and a 54-year-old fire captain was shot. The wounded man is in critical but stable condition at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.
“As a fire chief, I’ve dealt with a lot of death and lot of fallen members of our department and I always prayed we would never have a line-of-duty death,” Osby said through tears. “I never thought that if it occurred it would occur in this fashion.”
Osby said the shooter barricaded himself at his house less than 10 miles from the fire station that’s about 45 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The home was set on fire, and he was found dead.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the gunman appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Osby said he couldn’t speak to the motive for the shooting and doesn’t know about any disciplinary actions. But he noted that the suspected gunman was not scheduled to work Tuesday, and added that the shooter and two victims all worked different shifts.
