A firefighter shot one colleague to death and severely wounded another at their Los Angeles County firehouse on Tuesday, before the suspect apparently took his own life outside his nearby home a short time later as his dwelling went up in flames, officials said.
Gloria Tso reports.
A firefighter in Los Angeles County gunned down his coworkers on Tuesday, killing one and severely wounding another, shortly before taking his own life.
That's according to authorities, who said the shooting erupted shortly before 11am at a fire station in the desert town of Agua Dulce, about 45 miles north of Los Angeles.
Fire Chief Daryl Osby confirmed that one victim, a 44-year-old fire engineer, was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It was some of the worst news that I've heard in my career and as a fire chief, I've dealt with a lot of death and a lot of fallen members of my department." The second victim, a 54-year-old fire captain, was in critical but stable condition, according to authorities.
Sheriff's deputies were sent to the suspect's home in Acton, about 10 miles southeast of the fire station, shortly after the shooting.
There they found the house engulfed in flames and the suspected gunman in the pool, with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
Authorities said they had yet to determine a possible motive.
The suspect was identified only as an off-duty fireman who returned to the station that day for unknown reasons.
He was believed to have set fire to his own home, which has now been largely reduced to rubble.
