A sheriff's deputy and four others were killed during an hours-long standoff that resulted from a domestic violence call in Southern California, said authorities on Monday.
A resident called 911 at around 1:00 p.m. on Sunday saying that there was an armed man who had a restraining order that approached a home in Wasco, outside Bakersfield located about 140 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said.
Hours-Long Standoff
During the emergency call, screams and gunfire could be heard while a woman was seen fleeing the home found at 1718 First St. Youngblood noted that responding deputies believed two people inside the house were shot.
After the suspect barricaded himself inside the residence, an hours-long standoff between him and the deputies began. Youngblood said that 35-year-old Deputy Phillip Campas and Dizander Guerrero approached the home and were immediately shot.
The two officials were transported to the hospital where Campas later died due to his wounds as doctors continued to treat Guerrero and subsequently released him. Flying shrapnel from the incident also injured two other deputies.
Youngblood noted that the 41-year-old suspect was armed with an AK-47 and a handgun and was able to get on the roof of the home at 6:28 p.m. where he was shot and killed by deputies. After entering the house, deputies discovered three dead individuals, a 42-year-old female, a 24-year-old male, and a 17-year-old teen. Officials noted that the two male victims were the suspect's sons and that the woman was their mother, NBC News reported.
He said that if there were no other people inside the house, officials would have had to battle against the suspect for a longer time, waiting for the gunman to get bored and have enough of the situation. Youngblood added that their belief that there were hostages inside the home led them to act fast.
Bravery of Law Enforcement Personnel
In the wake of the incident, Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia confirmed the death of one sheriff's deputy and said it was a "devastating time" for the city as he praised the law enforcement personnel. In a statement, he said he discovered the shooting and death of the deputy and quickly expressed his sympathies to the families of the victims.
Before the suspect was killed, a SWAT team arrived at the area of the crime at about 2:50 p.m. who then tried to force their way into the home. This forced the gunman to once again shoot at law enforcement authorities, Newsweek reported.
The Honorary Guard led the procession from the hospital where Campas was pronounced dead. Pictures showed how the ambulance crew and members of the public and hospital paid homage to the bravery of the deceased officer. Family members of Campas were seen exiting the hospital accompanying the ambulance crew, including the Kern County Sheriff Bureau.
Campas was a deputy who had two daughters and was serving under the Kern County on Patrol, SWAT, and the Honorary Guard. Before becoming a sheriff's deputy, the law enforcement personnel was a soldier in the U.S. Marine Corps, California News Times reported.
Related Article: Ohio Man Charged with Hate Crime After Plotting Mass Shooting of Women Over Alleged Revenge, Jealousy
