The shooting occurred around 10:55 a.m. Tuesday, June 1, at Fire Station 81 in the 8700 block of Sierra Highway, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said. The 44-year-old firefighter who died was shot multiple times in the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The fire captain, 54, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Henry Mayor Newhall Hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
Neither of the men were immediately identified.
“I stand here with a heavy heart,” Osby said at a mid-afternoon news conference. “Today is truly a sad day and a tragic day for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. And I stand here from the perspective that you see other people do, but I just never thought it would be me or our fire department family that would suffer this type of loss.
“… I recognize and we all recognize that the work that our firefighters and our firefighter-paramedics do is a dangerous and arduous profession. And many times they put their lives in danger to protect and serve others when they receive 911 calls for service,” Osby said. “But yet, as a fire chief, I never thought that when our firefighters face danger that they would face that danger in one of our community fire stations.”
The gunman was identified as an off-duty county firefighter who also worked at Fire Station 81.
According to sheriff’s Lt. Brandon Dean, witnesses to the shooting were quickly able to identify the gunman and his vehicle to responding deputies, who tracked him to his home in the 2600 block of Bent Spur Drive in Acton. Authorities said the suspect barricaded himself inside the home and set it on fire.
Uncertain of the gunman’s status, fire crews were unable to respond to the blaze, and the flames chewed through the sprawling home. As the fire raged, sheriff’s crews spotted a man in the backyard of the home with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The body was seen in a seated, slumped-over position inside an empty swimming pool. Fire department crews eventually were able to douse the flames from the air, making a series of water drops. That eventually allowed sheriff’s deputies to access the property and confirm the person seen in the pool was dead.
Dean initially told reporters that deputies were confident the person found was the gunman, but they could not say 100% until they were able fully access the property. A short time later, a county fire department public information officer confirmed to reporters outside the home that the body was the suspect being sought.
There was no immediate word on a motive for the shooting. Osby said only that the gunman was a firefighter-engineer, but he would not say if he was facing any internal disciplinary action that might have precipitated the gunfire. The deadly shooting rocked the fire department, and left Osby at times fighting to maintain his composure as he reported the details.
“This morning when I received the news, it was some of the worst news that I’ve heard in my career,” Osby said. “And as a fire chief, I’ve dealt with a lot of death and a lot of fallen members of my department. And I’ve always prayed that we would never have a line-of-duty death. I never thought that if it occurred that it would occur in this fashion.”
“I know that as firefighters we are in a profession of providing assistance to others,” Osby said. “But I ask that in this particular situation, that we ask you for your support, that we ask you for your assistance, that we ask you for your prayers in our time of need.”
Osby said the firefighter who died had been with the department for more than 20 years and was a career firefighter, starting in a U.S. Forest Service Explorer Program. He described him as “truly dedicated, one of our better firefighters, amazing, and a true loss to our department.”
Osby said he activated the department’s chaplain program, peer-support team and mental-health specialists to offer support for affected firefighters and their families.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who chairs the Board of Supervisors, wrote on Twitter, “My most sincerest condolences to the family of the firefighter who was tragically killed in today’s shooting at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce,” Solis wrote on Twitter. “My thoughts are with our @LACOFD family. At my direction, flags will be flown half-staff at all County buildings.”
County Supervisor Janice Hahn called the shooting “an unspeakable tragedy.”
“The work our firefighters do is dangerous,” Hahn wrote on Twitter. “They go to work every day knowing they may be asked to put their lives on the line to protect others. Between emergency calls, the fire station must have felt like their safe haven. Unfortunately that sense of safety has now been shattered. But I know, in spite of the violence today in Agua Dulce, our LA County firefighters will continue their unwavering commitment to protecting the rest of us and we thank them for that.”
Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the union for county firefighters, said the union is also offering peer-support and other services to affected members.
“Fire fighters leave their homes and loved ones every day knowing the risks involved in our profession,” he said. “The challenges of being a fire fighter or paramedic include seeing and experiencing some of life’s most horrifying circumstances. Nothing, however, can adequately prepare anyone for today’s tragedy.”
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Bob says
Bullying and disputes happen in every job. We try to teach kids not bully. Adults are the worst bullies. Workplaces need to make an effort at training and team building. I read this about the rail yard incident. Guy was an oddball and the other men bullied and excluded him, supposedly. He retaliated. People strike out when they feel powerless and see no end.
These same things happen among teachers. Teachers at a local school were shunning and harassing some teachers to get them to leave. It worked! One teacher led it at one school, then moved to another school and led the shunning there. I talked to a local bus driver. She had been a teacher. She quit because of harassment from other teachers. They decide they don’t like a person, then they make life hell.
It seems today so many people have issues—mental health, physical health, relationships, money, etc.—that they bring to work with them. People seem to have lost their grit and ability to cope. It leads to all kinds of problems.
Claire says
There have been a lot of work place shootings this past year all across the country perpetrated by disgruntled employees. The responsibility is with the person that makes the decision to take lives, because of a vengeful mind-set determined to murder another human being. Life isn’t fair and no one has the right to murder someone because they’ve been offended.
Claire says
To all of you trashing firefighters: Those, including me that have witnessed devastation caused by fires are absolutely grateful for the back breaking work they do to control and extinguish fires. Fires that rip through neighborhoods, and devour everything in it’s path causing death and destruction. THANK YOU firefighters!
Larry says
Claire,
It’s their job, it’s what we pay them for.
If you cleared the brush around your property and replaced the batteries in your smoke alarms you’d be helping yourself more than they ever could.
I’m pretty sure the captain didn’t like the shooter either. I suspect decisions were about to be made that threatened the shooters job security. Yet all we hear from the Chief is PC bs.
The fire department has some issues they’d rather not be made public
Claire says
Yep, we clear the brush and replace batteries. No doubt there are workplace issues, but this is on the person that decided to take a ‘beef’ to another level and deprive a family of their loved one. I’ve worked in Aerospace now on pension, I can tell you there were plenty of issues, but when a person decides to take people out before he takes himself out, well then, we lose in this society.
Mike says
Oh you don’t need to worry about the poor firefighters. They are handsomely compensated for their efforts. And they are provided all of the amenities they need when fighting those dangerous fires. Hotels, 5 course steak dinners and desserts, lunches, hearty breakfasts, refreshments, medical services, equipment supply, transportation, and 24 hour rest periods. They are very well taken care of. You can rest easy knowing they are provided for much better than the average employee is.
https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/search/?q=Tory+Carlon+&y=2019
https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/search/?q=Jonathan+Tatone+&y=2020
let Mikey do it says
Then get out there and join them Mikey. Belly up to that trough and get that great food and pay. Show us how it’s done and put out a few fires while you’re doing it.
Mike says
If you only knew…
Claire says
Mike…You can bring up all the articles about firefighters, their pay, amenities, workplace issues, etc., over and over again. The issue here is a man that decided in a premeditated manner murder a man, leaving his family to grieve for the rest of their lives. When people start justifying murder, or people like you that are placing blame everywhere else but where it belongs, well, anarchy is just around the corner. I can’t imagine what would be left after fires wreak havoc, without firefighters doing what they do best, putting out fires and saving lives.
R witter says
I’m with you Claire.
Jessie Gleason says
firefighters risk their lives and literally walk through fire to save people and animals. they also save choking babies, blue babies, heart attack clients etc… No they are not perferct. Im not married to one, and I am not one myself, however; I believe the sacrifices they make are tremendous… including 24 hour shifts and being away from their families.
Mike says
LA County FD, and most other county agencies, have a culture within that promotes nepotism, cronyism, and cliques. EEO policy means nothing within the county, neither does diversity. Don’t let the fact that the Chief is black fool you. If an employee is not accepted into the culture, they are ostracized, ridiculed, denied time off, denied transfers, or worse. They have policies, but none are regularly followed. There is rarely discipline imposed within the department, which is a telling indicator of how personnel are managed, or lack thereof. Proof is in the public record. LA County FD was investigated for its hiring practices several years ago and it was found hiring exam fraud and an extraordinary number of candidates hired as new firefighters were relatives of veteran fire personnel as compared to the 95% of applicants who are rejected for hire. This story was published by several major news networks. LACoFD is an extremely corrupt organization and the Chief, Osby, has no clue what he’s doing, let alone know what his administrative staff are doing. Let’s not even talk about the 58% white workforce of the LACoFD which is not representative of the county demographics. Anyone who thinks this is an honorable department is either ignorant or in denial. LA County as a whole is a corrupt government entity and it trickles down to its agencies. That is a cold hard fact. And I’m 99% sure these internal issues and the cultures that manifest from these malpractices were what created the environment that led to this tragic shooting.
https://fraud.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2015-02-23-County-Fire-Department-Audit-Finds-Cheating-in-Hiring-Promotions-Los-Angeles-Times.pdf
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxla.com/news/from-fighting-fires-to-fighting-racism-a-conversation-with-la-county-fire-chief-osby.amp
https://lacounty.gov/government/geography-statistics/statistics/#1481134819146-99b6b31e-ee24
Larry says
Sounds like Mike knows what he’s talking about and I believe it’s closer to the truth than anything.
Ray says
Mike’s comments are Informative, knowledgable, and with sources to back up what is claimed. Everyone reading these post would do themselves a favor by reading the attached links in Mike’s comments.
I would challenge anyone to show his claims are not 99% accurate.
If you’re not accepted into the FD “family” your employment is going to be tough and you’re not going to last.
Serena says
Pretty telling that the guy chose to set his own home on fire. If they’re willing to do that, then what else are they willing to set on fire? It really makes you wonder.
Roberto says
What’s to wonder.. he committed murder.
Jessie Gleason says
Well he could have just killed himself after donating the home to the county? Instead of destroying lives and families. Clearly malignant narcissism. Probably the result of being disciplined and his ego was not having it.
Jessie Gleason says
you are right… arson is a high paying crime.
FatWhiteBob says
Hero to zero
If it was an ongoing feud this falls on the captains shoulders
Tragedy says
I’m guessing the shooter was demoted or disciplined for something.
Roberto says
We’ll probably never hear. Evidently the Captain allowed the feud to escalate between the firefighter and engineer and this happened.
Firefighter is a good job, with good pay, and good benefits. 1o minute drive to work would be sweet.
What possibly could he be feuding with the engineer over that would be worth killing the guy over?
Kyle says
The shooter and the victim were both engineers which is strange because wouldn’t they be working different shifts?
Alby says
Who knows. Strong egos colliding?… Just like cops or bar regulars do?… They have egos that need to be fed from time to time and like many civil servant jobs, if there were no solid financial incentive then there wouldn’t be a strong sense of duty to tread on non-threats with bravery.
EXAV says
@Lorie…Don’t change the subject. I’m not talking about taking pictures. Irrelevant. Saying firefighters have an easy job is pure cluelessness. Inner city fire stations run non-stop. Let’s see you show up to a triple fatality car accident. You wanna talk about tax payer funded schemes, take a look at the California Prison Guards.
Lorie says
It’s a well known fact that a lot of them are drunks and have multiple affairs, despite having one of the best jobs with the least amount of work and the greatest amount of benefits provided by taxpayers.
EXAV says
People like you crack me up. Firefighters have an easy job? Some fire stations run 24/7 from shootings to fatal car accidents and back again, over and over. Hardly an easy job. Firefighters see alot of things most people wouldn’t even be able to look at.
Lorie says
EXAV,
Yeah, and they take pictures of those accidents/bodies and send them to each other as a joke. We know about that and about how they feign injuries to get a pension spike at retirement.
You’re not fooling me or anyone else here, so spare us the martyrdom.
Claire says
Lorie…I know when there are fires in California that devastate thousands of people, firefighters are essential. Their work is back breaking and they deserve the pay. Commenters like you bring up stuff that has nothing to do with this issue.
Bob says
Lori in for the win.
Great comments
Jessie Gleason says
Wow… are you not speaking out of turn? Alot of teachers, cops, priests, refs, umps, jockeys, athletes etc… alcoholism touches every walk of life. If you witnessed the horrific things firefighters, paramedics, nursesetc… you would be more empathetic instead of shooting your mouth off over jealousy.
Response says
There is some truth to that.
EXAV says
Sounds like Lorie is a jilted ex-wife of a firefighter.
Ralph T. says
Doubt it. A lot of people know about firefighters and the corruption at the county level, and even local stations. It’s not a secret that almost everyone who’s a firefighter got in due to cheating on exams and nepotism, and because they couldn’t actually do anything else in life. It’s also not a secret that every time a major wildfire breaks out, a lot of them get all giddy about the idea of making “overtime” money to buy new boats and RVs. Lorie’s also right about the fake injuries and pension spiking. Then you had firemen using their wives to get online degrees so that they could get extra household income. You don’t have to be “jilted” to know all of this, you just have to personally know a few firemen that were dumb enough to shoot their mouths off about all of this. They aren’t the smartest bunch.