LA County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby opened a somber press conference by expressing his shock at the shooting.
“I never thought it would be me or our fire department family,” he said, adding “I never thought when our firefighters face danger that they would face danger at one of our fire stations.”
Osby went on to confirm the death of a firefighter engineer, 44, who succumbed to his injuries at the scene. He was shot multiple times to the abdomen. Osby has spoken with the family of the fallen firefighter.
Osby also confirmed that a fire captain, 54, was shot and transported to Henry Mayo Hospital where he remains in critical but stable condition.
The shooter was an off-duty firefighter. He returned to his home after the shooting, barricaded himself in the home and set the home on fire. He was later found dead on the scene with a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head.
According to Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the sheriff’s department received a 911 call from Station 81.
Witness statements included the name of a suspect and a description of his vehicle. The car was connected to an address, which was on fire.
Special Enforcement Bureau officers have contained the location. A man at the residence appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, but officers are still unable to approach the residence.
The investigation is ongoing.
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There has been a shooting at an LA County Fire Station in Agua Dulce near Santa Clarita after a suspect opened fire Tuesday morning.
One firefighter is dead and another has been injured.
Officials are still trying to knock down that fire at a home in Acton believed linked to the shooting in Agua Dulce.
Reporter Claudia Peschiutta reports that Supervisor Kathryn Barger says the firefighter who survived Agua Dulce fire station shooting is a captain hit in the leg and expected to survive.
"This is just devastating," she says. "It's a wakeup call for us all...If you see something that doesn't feel right...reach out, just reach out."
LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis on Twitter confirmed the death of one firefighter.
"My most sincerest condolences to the family of the firefighter who was tragically killed in today's shooting at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce. My thoughts are with our @LACOFDfamily. At my direction, flags will be flown half-staff at all County buildings," she tweeted.
"A source at the Los Angeles County Fire Department said the shooter was a firefighter," the LA Times reported. ABC 7 also reported that the suspect was a disgruntled employee.
On Twitter Tuesday afternoon, LA County Fire tweeted "It is with heavy hearts that the LACoFD confirms that a tragic shooting occurred at approximately 10:55 a.m. today at FS 81 in Agua Dulce. The Dept. is still in the process of gathering additional information & are cooperating with law enf. throughout this ongoing incident."
A home in Acton erupted in flames after the suspect got away from the scene. It's believed that, after the shooting, the suspect went to a home in Acton, and that house was on fire. There is a helicopter dropping water on the home to douse the flames.
According to CNS reporting "Fire department crews were held back from attacking the fire, with the suspect inside allegedly threatening to shoot anyone who approached the building. Sheriff's deputies hovering in a helicopter above the scene later reported spotting the body in the backyard of the home, suffering from the apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."
Overhead, helicopters show what appears to be a body, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Initially, the search was on for a suspect in a white Toyota pickup truck.
Three KNX reporters are on the way to the scene.