A shooting at a senior housing community in Long Beach claimed the life of a firefighter and left two other people injured Monday morning, according, according to authorities.
Update 12:25 p.m. EDT June 25: Firefighters released a photo of Long Beach Fire Capt. David Rosa, 45, who died Monday after he was shot while responding to a fire at Long Beach's Covenant Manor.
Update 12 p.m. EDT June 25: Officials identified the firefighter killed Monday in the line-of-duty as Capt. David Rosa, 45, of the Long Beach Fire Department.
Fire Chief Mike Duree said Rosa joined the department 17 years ago. He was made a captain six and a half years ago, the fire chief said.
“This is a tough day,” Duree said Monday in an emotional moment at a news conference.
Rosa is survived by a wife and two children.
“We’ve lost a family member,” Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna said.
A second firefighter was in stable condition and expected to recover after the shooting, according to officials. Luna said a third person, identified only as a civilian, was also shot. The civilian was in critical condition Monday.
Authorities recovered a weapon after the attack, which took place while firefighters were responding to a report of a fire at Covenant Manor.
“That’s the environment that we work in today as law enforcement and firefighters,” Luna said. “You go to these scenes and you never know what’s on the other side of those doors. And these brave firefighters, they went through those doors and they were unfortunately met with gunfire.”
Luna said authorities had a person of interest in custody after the shooting.
Update 11:30 a.m. EDT June 25: A firefighter who suffered critical injuries Monday morning in a shooting in Long Beach has died, KTTV reported.
One other firefighter was in stable condition after the attack, Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Jake Heflin said earlier Monday. A civilian was also shot.
Authorities continue to investigate.
Update 10:45 a.m. EDT June 25: Firefighters found sprinklers going off at Covenant Major after they were called just before 4 a.m. local time to a report of a fire at the retirement home, Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Jake Heflin said.
Officials had also gotten reports of an explosion in the building and found multiple windows had been blown out, although authorities couldn’t immediately confirm that an explosion had taken place, Heflin said.
Firefighters put out a small fire at the scene. It was while officials were checking to make sure all the fire had been put out that two firefighters were shot, Heflin said. Long Beach police Sgt. Brad Johnson said one civilian was also shot.
One firefighter suffered critical injuries. The second was in stable condition with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.
“Firefighters, they do a tremendous job and they deal with fire -- they don’t deal with bullets,” Johnson said Monday morning at a news conference. “It’s a sad time in Long Beach’s history today if you have firefighters injured responding to just doing their job.”
Johnson said a resident of the senior living home, who was not injured, was in custody after the shooting.
Authorities continue to investigate.
Update 10:07 a.m. EDT June 25: Two firefighters who were injured Monday morning at Long Beach's Covenant Manor suffered gunshot wounds, fire officials confirmed.
One firefighter was in critical condition after the shooting, KNBC reported. The other firefighter suffered injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, according to the news station.
Officials told KTLA that a civilian was also injured.
Update 9:35 a.m. EDT June 25: Fire officials told KTLA that two firefighters and a civilian were injured Monday morning at a California retirement home where shots were heard early Monday.
The extent and cause of their injuries were not immediately known.
Update 9:20 a.m. EDT June 25: Long Beach police confirmed to KCBS-TV that officers were responding to reports of a shooting Monday morning at Covenant Manor on E. 4th Street.
“All I can confirm at this time is that there has been a shooting,” Long Beach police Sgt. Brad Johnson told KCBS-TV. “(It’s) not an active shooter situation. (The) investigation is ongoing.”
Update 8:55 a.m. EDT June 25: Authorities continued Monday morning to search the retirement home, identified by KCBS-TV as Covenant Manor.
The news station reported authorities were called just after 4 a.m. to a report of an explosion and shooting at the building, however, officials did not immediately confirm the report.
Two people told KTLA they heard what sounded like gunshots in the area early Monday.
Update 8:05 a.m. EDT June 25: According to KCBS-TV producer Mike Rogers, an "active shooter and 3rd alarm fire" were reported early Monday in Long Beach.
KTLA's Alberto Mendez reported that the incident occurred "at a retirement home near the area of 4th and Atlantic."
"Suspect is still possibly in the building," he added.
One woman told KTLA that she heard gunshots.
About the Author
