Sheriff: Vet shot self after killing three mental health workers

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said Albert Wong, 36, shot the three workers in the head with a rifle at the California Veterans Home in Yountville. The sheriff didn’t release the type of rifle used. The sheriff also serves as the county’s coroner.

The sheriff’s office said that Wong then used a shotgun to shoot himself in the head Friday at The Pathway Home building. Pathway home was a nonprofit organization that treated combat veterans for post-traumatic stress syndrome and other mental health disorders. 

Wong, whose military records show he served in Afghanistan from April 2011 to March 2012, was enrolled in The Pathway Home’s veteran treatment program until he was recently expelled, according to a relative of one of the women he killed.

Law enforcement officials did not respond to questions about what led to Wong being dismissed from the program.

Wong killed program director Christine Loeber and psychologists Jennifer Golick, and Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, who was also pregnant.

Napa County Sheriff’s Capt. Steven Blower said neither the victims nor Wong was shot by a deputy who exchanged gunfire with Wong when he first arrived at the veterans home Friday morning. 

The deputy was responding to a 10:20 a.m. report of shots fired. Wong ran into a room and closed the door during the gunfight no further shots were heard.

Officers weren’t sure if Wong and the victims were still alive and they surrounded the building for seven hours and attempted to contact Wong. Shortly before 6 p.m., a robot with a video camera showed all four people appearing to be dead, which officers soon confirmed.

The Pathway board of directors announced Wednesday that the program was suspending operations “indefinitely.”