Feb 7, 2008 10:15 am US/Pacific
5 Dead In Bloody L.A. Standoff
SWAT Officer Killed, Another SWAT Officer Wounded; Gunman Killed
3 Other Men Shot Dead In The Home
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
Five people, including a veteran LAPD SWAT officer, are dead after a bloody standoff.
The gunman was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police as the house he was holed up in burned.
An unidentified woman was rescued from the house.
Randy Simmons, 51, a 27-year veteran of the LAPD, was killed in an initial exchange of gunfire at the house. His partner, fellow SWAT officer Jim Veentra, was wounded in the gunfight.
The incident began when the gunman called 911, telling operators that he killed three family members at his home. When SWAT responded, he shot two officers trying to gain entry to the home.
During the gunfight, the officers noticed the bodies of three men in the house. One of the men appeared to be alive, and he was thrown from the house in the middle of the shootout. Police said he died a short time later.
At around 6 a.m. local time, LAPD officers rammed a vehicle into the home to tear down some walls. They also flooded the house with tear gas.
Some 10 hours after the incident began, the house was ablaze. At a news conference, police say they weren't sure how the house caught fire. They speculated that a flashbang grenade may have set something on fire, although they added it was equally possible the man may have intentionally set the blaze.
During the fire, a woman stumbled out of the house and was rescued. Police believe that she was a victim of the gunman, but wouldn't specify her relationship with him.
Simmons is survived by his wife and two teenage children. Veentra is a 26 year veteran of the force. He is expected to survive.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa mourned Simmons, saying, "It's a sad day here in Los Angeles.
"This is a very horrible tragedy and our hearts go out to all the members of the LAPD who also are grieving at this time."
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
