Gunman Takes Three Hostages at California Veterans’ Home

A gunman has taken three hostages at a Napa Valley veterans’ home and opened fire on law enforcement, authorities said Friday. The Veterans Home of California in Yountville has been under lockdown as a result of the “active shooter situation.” Napa County Sheriff John Robertson said at a press conference that three hostages are still in a room with the shooter, who let others hostages go and fired “many bullets” at deputies outside. The deputies returned fire. There have been “no injuries” reported, and the suspect is “contained to one room,” said California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Chris Child. “We have hostage negotiators from at least three different agencies on site,” he added. The husband of a woman inside the veterans’ home told the Associated Press that the gunman slipped into a going-away party for an employee. He allowed some people to go, but took others hostage. Local reports indicate that a nearby golf course was cleared and a neighborhood elementary school was briefly under lockdown. California Department of Veterans Affairs released a statement saying that “emergency response protocol” has been activated, and they are cooperating with local law enforcement. According to the department, Veterans Home of California is the “largest home for veterans in the United States, with about 1,000 residents.”