Asian American gunman found dead along with the slain hostages

Albert Wong served in the U.S. Army.

SUFFERING FROM post traumatic stress disorder, combat veteran Albert Wong killed three hostages then turned his gun on himself Friday (March 9) evening.
Wong, wearing combat gear around 10:30 a.m., who slipped into  the Veterans Home in Yountville, California during a going-away party. He held party goers hostage but let some go while detaining three women. 

He exchanged shots with the first law enforcement officer who responded to 911 calls. Wong held off police for hours before the standoff's tragic ending.

Attempts to contact the gunmen during the standoff were unsuccessful. After a 7-hour seige, police entered the building only to find the four bodies.

The three people he had held hostage were all working in the Pathway Home program located on the veterans home campus to help U.S. veterans adjust to civilian life and cope with PTSD.

The three victims were:

• Jennifer Golick, 42 years old, Clinical Director, from St Helena
• Christine Loeber, 48 years old, Executive Director, from Napa
• Jennifer Gonzalez, 29 years old, Clinical Psychologist

It was "far too early to say if they were chosen at random" because investigators had not yet determined a motive, California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Chris Childs said in a press conference.

RELATED: Gunman knew he needed help

"These brave women were accomplished professionals who dedicated their careers to serving our nation's veterans, working closely with those in the greatest need of attention after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan," The Pathway Home said in a statement.


The nonprofit program, housed in offices leased at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, has served more than 450 veterans and their families since its inception in 2007.

Wong, 36, is from Sacramento, about 45 minutes away from Yountville, located in the heart of California's Napa Valley. He used to be with the Pathway Home program, and records show he was a former Army infantryman who served a tour in Afghanistan.

Gov. Jerry Brown ordered flags flown at half-staff at the capitol in memory of the victims. 

Golick's father-in-law, Bob Golick, said in an interview she had recently expelled Wong from the program.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/article204488554.html#storylink=cpy

The California Veterans Home, a state-run facility, in Yountville is one of the largest in the United States. It houses 1,100 men and women of all ages, from World War II era to present-day. The Veterans Home dates back to 1884 and is a 600-acre campus.

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