Police: 77-year-old California man suspected of starting fire, shooting and killing first responder


Police in Long Beach, California, said Monday that a 77-year-old man is suspected of starting a fire at his retirement home, then shooting firefighters when they responded to the call for help.
One of the first responders, Capt. Dave Rosa, 45, a 17-year veteran of the Long Beach Fire Department, was shot and killed. Another firefighter, Ernesto Torres, was wounded, and has since been released from the hospital. Authorities said a resident of the Covenant Manor facility was also shot and is in critical but stable condition. "This is a tough day," Long Beach Fire Chief Mike DuRee said.
First responders arrived at Covenant Manor at around 4 a.m. Monday, after reports of an explosion and the smell of gasoline, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said. After a preliminary investigation, officers believe that Thomas Kim purposely started a fire as a way to lure first responders in order to shoot them, and he's been arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, and arson. Luna said two explosive devices were found inside his apartment, and they recovered a revolver after arresting him. He is being held on $2 million bail.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?
The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate branding
In the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
A long weekend in Zürich
The Week Recommends The vibrant Swiss city is far more than just a banking hub
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle