3 women, suspect dead in California hostage standoff

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Los Angeles, March 10: A gunman and three women thought to be his hostages were found dead Friday at a California veterans home after an hourslong standoff with police.

The assailant struck at 10: 20 am ( 1820 GMT) at the Veterans Home of California- Yountville in the Napa Valley, the largest veterans’ home in the United States with around 1,000 former servicemen and women.

“Shortly before 6: 00 pm this evening law enforcement personnel made entry into the room where we felt the hostages were being held by the suspect and unfortunately made the discovery of three deceased females and one deceased male suspect,” Captain Chris Childs of the California Highway Patrol told a news conference.

“This is a tragic piece of news, one we were really hoping we wouldn’t have to come before the public to give.”

The Napa County Sheriff ’ s Office had earlier issued an advisory on social media telling people to avoid the area following reports of gunfire, as the California Highway Patrol dispatched officers, air support and a SWAT team to the site.

Childs said a sheriff ’ s deputy who was first on the scene exchanged fire with the suspect, adding that “we credit him with saving the lives of others in the area by eliminating the ability for the suspect to go out and find further victims.”

The three victims were described by local media as employees of The Pathway Home, an onsite counseling service for veterans who suffer from post- traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD).

It is was not immediately clear whether they had been targeted or were chosen at random.