1 dead, 1 critical in Los Angeles fire station shooting; suspect believed to set fire

A firefighter is dead and a captain in critical condition following a shooting at a Los Angeles County fire station Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting occurred around 10:55 a.m. local time at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce, about 45 miles north of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby. The suspect is believed to be an off-duty firefighter who later returned to his home, barricaded himself inside and then set fire to the home.

“As a fire chief I never thought when our firefighters face danger that they would face that danger at one of our community fire stations,” Osby said.

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. (1/2)

— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) June 1, 2021

A 44-year-old firefighter engineer was killed after being shot multiple times in the upper torso, Los Angeles County officials said. Osby described the engineer, who was not identified, as a 20-year veteran of the department who was “brave, committed, loyal.”

The station’s fire captain was also shot and is currently in critical condition.

A man authorities believe could be the suspect was found outside a home in Acton with a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. The residence was still burning Tuesday evening, preventing authorities from confirming the identity of the body.

Authorities could not yet identify a motive.

The sheriff’s office confirmed earlier Tuesday that Palmdale station responded to the firehouse earlier in the day “regarding multiple gun shot victims at the location.”

“We have a high volume of law enforcement presence in the area of Bent Spur Road in Acton,” the sheriff’s department tweeted. “For the public’s safety we ask that you avoid the area until further notice.”

The Special Enforcement Bureau with the sheriff’s department confirmed members of its air rescue team were deployed to assist with the search for a suspect, tweeting photos of the SWAT team being brought down from helicopters over a nearby home engulfed in flames.

A mental health evaluation team also confirmed it was at the scene of a “possible barricaded suspect.”

This is a breaking story, please check back for updates.