An armed man took three hostages in an "active shooter situation" at a veterans' home in Napa Valley, California, fire officials told the Associated Press.
- An armed man took three hostages at a veterans' home in northern California, officials said.
- The gunman and the hostages are currently inside a room in one of the buildings, and hostage negotiators haven't yet made contact.
- The Veterans Home of California-Yountville is on lockdown and the incident is being treated as an "active shooter situation."
- Authorities said no injuries have been reported, though the condition of the hostages is unclear.
A gunman entered a Northern California veterans' home on Friday, exchanged fire with a sheriff's deputy, and took three people hostage, state authorities said.
The suspect, armed with a rifle, has kept the hostages detained in a room at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville for roughly four hours so far, and negotiators from multiple law-enforcement agencies have been unable to make contact.
The husband of one of the workers at the home told the Associated Press that the gunman took the hostages after he slipped into a party held in the building, detained certain people, and allowed others to leave.
Assistant chief Chris Childs of the California Highway Patrol's Golden Gate Division told reporters Friday afternoon that despite the earlier gunfire, no injuries have been reported so far. The condition of the hostages is unclear, he added.
Childs said the situation is "ongoing, active, and dynamic," but that there's no public safety threat outside the room where the gunman is holding the hostages.
He declined to identify the gunman or clarify his connection to the veterans' home, but local media outlets have reported that he's a veteran and former member of The Pathway Home program, which says on its website that it helps veterans "cope with the effects of their deployment."
The suspect was believed to be 36 years old and was discharged from the treatment program two weeks ago, according to The Napa Valley Register. The gunman was asked to leave the program after he broke certain rules, NBC Bay Area reported.
The initial reports of an active shooter at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville came in around 10:30 a.m., local time, a spokeswoman for the department told the San Francisco Chronicle. Residents were directed to shelter in place, she added.
"The safety of our residents, workers and the community is our top priority," the department said on Twitter. "We have activated our emergency response protocol and are cooperating with law enforcement."
Authorities have set up a hotline at (707) 948-3331 for people to call for information if their loved ones work at the veterans' home.
The facility is the largest veterans' home in the US, housing roughly 1,000 elderly or disabled veterans and their spouses, according to its website.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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