A Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter was killed on Tuesday morning when an off-duty colleague began shooting inside an Agua Dulce, California, fire station, officials said.
The deceased firefighter, whose name has not been released, was a 44-year-old father of three daughters who had been with the department for more than 20 years. A 54-year-old fire captain was also injured in the shooting, and is in critical but stable condition at an area hospital.
This was "a tragic day for the Los Angeles County Fire Department," Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl L. Osby said. "As a fire chief, I never thought that when our firefighters face danger, that they would face danger in one of our community fire stations."
Officials said that after leaving the fire station, the suspect went to his home about 10 miles away, and within minutes, the house was on fire. A person believed to be the suspect was found dead in a small pool on the property, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A person with knowledge of the matter told the Los Angeles Times that the gunman and the firefighter who was shot and killed worked different shifts, but lived near each other and were involved in an ongoing dispute.