Gunman, 3 Women Dead After Hostage Situation at California Veterans Home

A shooting incident turned hostage-taking situation at a veterans' home in Northern California has left the gunman and three hostages dead. A U.S. official confirmed the discovery of the said fatalities.

The official who confirmed the deaths was not authorized to discuss the sensitive incident publicly and spoke to the media on condition of anonymity. The identities of the victims, as well as the gunman, are yet to be released.

A convoy of emergency vehicles was seen leaving the Veterans Home of California.

Authorities said earlier Friday evening that they have lost contact with the gunman for almost eight hours since he managed to slip into an employee going-away party at the largest veterans' home in the country. The gunman held three people hostage for almost eight hours running.

Officials confirmed the three hostages the gunman took were all women.

Police and tactical teams formed plans on how to deal with the tricky situation and save the hostages from the gunman. Authorities’ last communication with the gunman had been before 10:30 a.m.

Officials also confirmed that those taken hostages were employees of The Pathway Home, a privately run program on the veterans home’s grounds. The program is behind treating veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The police until afternoon were still trying to negotiate with the gunman.

The Napa Valley Register first reported spotting a man wearing body armor and armed with an automatic weapon who entered said veterans home. The gunman took three hostages.

While investigation will remain ongoing, officials consider the situation as over and that there is no more threat to the public’s safety.

The Veterans Home of California is one of the largest veterans homes in the U.S.

Source: https://www.ksat.com/news/us-official-says-gunman-3-hostages-dead