Santa Clarita shooting: 2 firefighters shot, 1 killed by off-duty colleague at Agua Dulce firehouse

Santa Clarita shooting at Aqua Dulce firehouse leaves firefighter dead

An off-duty California firefighter allegedly killed a colleague in a Santa Clarita firehouse, shot and wounded another and fled to a home in nearby Acton, which burst into flames, according to local reports. Authorities found him dead on the property.

At least two men were shot at a Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Station 81 in the Agua Dulce neighborhood around 11 a.m. PT, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department told Fox News.

"Today is truly a sad day and a tragic day for the Los Angeles County Fire Department," Chief Daryl Osby said during a news conference hours after the incident.

The slain firefighter was a 44-year-old, 20-year veteran of the department, Osby said. He had transferred to the Agua Dulce house for a change of pace, but the chief said it was still a dangerous station due to the threat of wildfires.

A 54-year-old fire captain was also shot during the incident. He remained in critical but stable condition, according to the chief.

"The shooter was an off-duty firefighter who came to the fire station," Osby said. "Following the shooting we learned that the firefighter returned to his house. He barricaded himself. The home was set on fire. And he was also found deceased."

Osby said he believed four people were working at the station at the time of the shooting.

Hours after the shooting, aerial video showed the house had burned to the ground, with just a few walls and an overhang still standing.

Screengrab from chopper video above the firehouse. (KTTV)

CALIFORNIA SHERIFF'S DEPUTY DIES AFTER BEING SHOT DURING TRAFFIC STOP

Witnesses told deputies the suspect's name and described his vehicle, according to Sheriff's Department Lt. Brandon Dean. The off-duty firefighter worked in the same firehouse as the victims, he said.

SWAT team members responded to the fire and found a man who appeared dead of a gunshot wound to the head in a pool on the burning property, but authorities had not positively identified him as the suspect because the fire was still active, he said.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva said it was too early to determine a motive but that workplace violence was being investigated.

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A short time after the 10:55 a.m. shooting, a structure fire broke out on Bent Spur Drive in Acton, about 30 miles away, according to FOX LA. The sheriff's department urged drivers to avoid the area around noon and later shut down the road entirely between Briar Glen Road and Cedarcroft Road.

The sheriff's department's Special Enforcement Bureau tweeted out images showing SWAT team members airdropping down to the property.

They were "searching for [an] assault with a deadly weapon suspect."

The station's SkyFOX news helicopter recorded what appeared to be a body in a pool on the property

This is a breaking news story. Check back with Fox News for updates.

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