A shooting incident at a veterans’ home in Yountville, California came to a close Friday evening when, after hours of attempting to make contact with the alleged shooter, officers stormed the room where he was reportedly keeping hostages. According to CNN, California Highway Patrol spokesperson Chris Childs revealed that when officers stormed the room at The Pathway House just before 6 pm local time, they found that the gunman and all three hostages were already dead. “This is a tragic piece of news, one that we were really hoping we wouldn’t have to come before the public to give,” said Childs.
The Associated Press identified the gunman as 36-year-old Albert Wong, whose military records indicate was “an Army infantryman who served a year in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012” and “held a number of service awards, including one for expert marksmanship with a rifle.” The AP, CNN, and other outlets also identified Wong’s three apparent victims as Executive Director Christine Loeber, Clinical Director Jennifer Golick, and Jennifer Gonzalez, who worked as a clinical psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.
Authorities also revealed that Wong, who reportedly slipped onto the premises during a going-away party for two employees, was a former client of The Pathway House. State Sen. Bill Dodd told CNN that Wong was released two weeks ago from the private nonprofit facility, which treats veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Otherwise, investigators are still trying to determine what precisely happened on Friday, though that didn’t stop President Trump from tweeting about the “tragic situation” early Saturday morning.
We are deeply saddened by the tragic situation in Yountville and mourn the loss of three incredible women who cared for our Veterans.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018
(Via CNN / Associated Press)