Senior home shooting kills firefighter

LONG BEACH — A retirement home resident shot at firefighters who responded to a report of an explosion at the Long Beach 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 Monday to draw first responders to his second-floor apartment at the retirement home, and then opened fire, police Chief Robert Luna said.

Kim, 77, was arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and arson.

The shooting happened shortly after firefighters arrived at the 11-story retirement facility around 4 a.m. and found some windows blown out, 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, Fire Chief Michael DuRee said.

Fire Capt. Dave Rosa, who had worked for the department for 17 years, died at a hospital, DuRee said. He is survived by a wife and two children — ages 16 and 25, the chief said. The other firefighter, Ernesto Torres, is expected to make a full recovery, DuRee said.

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

Luna said a revolver was recovered after Kim was taken into custody. He had a prior arrest for car theft. Investigators are working to determine Kim’s motive, Luna said.