Gunman, 3 Hostages Dead After Veteran’s Home Standoff

The gunman in Friday’s tense standoff at a Napa Valley veterans’ home was found dead in the evening, along with his three female hostages.

The standoff went on for nearly eight hours, but shortly after 6 p.m., the police reportedly broke into the room where a U.S. military veteran was holed up with three hostages. All four were dead, according to a report by CNN, and the coroner’s office identified them as Christine Loeber, 48; Jennifer Golick, 42; and Jennifer Gonzales, 29.

“This is a tragic piece of news, one that we were really hoping we wouldn’t have to come before the public to give,” California Highway Patrol officer Chris Childs said.

The gunman was identified by authorities as 36-year-old Albert Wong of Sacramento. Wong was formerly a client at The Pathway Home, a nonprofit rehabilitation center for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which is also based in Yountville, California.

Before officers entered the room, hostage negotiators spent hours trying to contact Wong. He didn’t answer his own cell phone, nor the phones in the dorm area where he was barricaded.

Larry Kamer told reporters that his wife, Devereaux Smith, was there when Wong barged into a going-away party for Pathway employees leaving their jobs. He had a rifle in hand.

“They were having cake and toasting, apparently he just walked in with this rifle,” Kamer said. His wife and some other employees escaped in the chaos, though he didn’t specify how.

Shortly after, reports of “shots fired” began coming in. By 10:20 a.m., there were dozens of law enforcement officials on the scene, according to Napa County Sheriff John Robertson.

In between attempts to contact Wong, police reportedly exchanged gunfire with him. There is still no motive to explain his actions.

It’s also unclear whether the three victims were chosen at random or not. Loeber was reportedly the executive director of The Pathway Home, Golick worked there as a staff psychologist, and Gonzales was a clinical psychologist with the San Franciso Department of Veterans’ Affairs Healthcare System.

California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered flags in the state’s capitol to fly at half staff in tribute to the three women and their families. He released a statement praising their work and their bravery.

He said that the shooting “tragically took the lives of three people dedicated to serving our veterans. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones, and the entire community of Yountville.”