Pensioner arrested for killing firefighter

Aretirement home resident shot at firefighters who responded to a report of an explosion at the Southern California facility on Monday, killing a veteran fire captain and leaving a second firefighter and another resident wounded, officials said.

Investigators believe the man, Thomas Kim, had set a fire early on Monday morning to draw first responders to his second-floor apartment at the retirement home in Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, and then opened fire, Police Chief Robert Luna said.

Kim, 77, was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and arson. It was not immediately known if he has an attorney.

The shooting happened shortly after firefighters arrived at the 11-storey retirement facility around 4am and found some windows blown out, activated sprinklers, the smell of gas and a fire that they extinguished, authorities said.

Firefighters were searching the building when shots rang out and the two firefighters were hit, Long Beach Fire Chief Michael DuRee said.

Fire Capt. Dave Rosa, who had worked for the department for 17 years, died at a hospital on Monday morning, DuRee said. He is survived by a wife and two children — ages 16 and 25, the chief said.

The other firefighter, Ernesto Torres, was expected to make a full recovery, DuRee said.

Evacuated

An elderly resident at the retirement home was also shot and was in critical but stable condition, said Police Chief Robert Luna. The specific circumstances of how the resident was shot were not immediately known.

“Long Beach lost a hero today,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. Eighty senior citizens remained evacuated from the retirement home Monday afternoon and were being offered health services and counselling at a local community centre, the mayor said.