Firefighter Fatally Shoots Co-Worker And Wounds Another

KEY POINTS

Police has not been able to determine the motive behind the shooting
Gunman was found dead in pool with a self-inflicted gunshot wound
Suspect set his house on fire after returning from the fire station

An off-duty firefighter fatally shot a colleague and wounded another in a Los Angeles County firehouse. The suspect killed himself shortly after by setting his home on fire.

The suspect opened fired inside Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce, a rural community in the desert of northern Los Angeles, at 10.55 a.m.

A 44-year-old fire specialist, with 20 years of experience, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds. A 54-year-old firefighter wounded during the incident was listed critical but is now in stable condition following emergency surgery.

It is with heavy hearts that the LACoFD confirms that a tragic shooting occurred at approximately 10:55 a.m. today at FS 81 in Agua Dulce. The Dept. is still in the process of gathering additional information & are cooperating with law enf. throughout this ongoing incident. (1/2)
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) June 1, 2021

Sheriff's deputies sent to the suspect's house found it engulfed in flames. The body of the gunman was in a small pool outside the residence with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

“He was not scheduled to work today. He came back and confronted the on-duty personnel,” said county Fire Chief Daryl Osby to AP News. “I cannot speak to the mindset of the shooter. I can say that it’s very tragic and sad that that would be a decision point of one of the members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.”

The motive behind the attack is not clear, said authorities.

Family and co-workers said the victim was “truly dedicated, one of our better firefighters and a true loss to our department.”

“As fire chief, I never thought when our firefighters face danger, they would face that danger at one of our community fire stations,” Osby said.

“Between emergency calls, the fire station must have felt like their safe haven,” said County Supervisor Janice Hahn, reported ABC News. “Unfortunately that sense of safety has now been shattered.”

Neighbors told AP News that they did not know who lived in the burned house and thought that it had been recently sold.

"Today is truly a sad day and a tragic day for the Los Angeles County Fire Department," Osby told reporters. He said that the deadly outburst of gun violence on his force was one of the worst news that he had received in his career.

This shooting took place less than a week after a gunman opened fired and killed nine of his co-worker and then shot himself at the San Jose rail yard.