A veteran who received treatment at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, California, held three employees hostage on March 9. After hours of attempted negotiations, the three women and the gunman were all found dead. Because negotiators were unable to make contact during the standoff, they do not know when during the incident the three women were killed.
The suspect had received treatment at the Veteran’s Home of California in Yountville, the veteran’s care facility where the hostage situation unfolded. The three women were all care providers at the facility, although it has not been reported whether they were involved in the suspect’s care.
The victims are Executive Director Christine Loeber and staff psychologists Dr. Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba and Dr. Jennifer Gray Golick. “These three remarkable clinicians and healers were the backbone of The Pathway Home and they will always be in our hearts,” Board of Director Chair Dorothy Salmon said in a written statement.
The suspect is Albert Wong, a recent patient in The Pathway Home program at the Veterans Home of California- Yountville. Wong served in the Army infantry, including time deployed to Afghanistan. Wong’s previous course of treatment has not been made public.
The incident is still under investigation, with many questions about why it occurred remaining.
The Pathway Home
The Pathway Home program serves veterans in the Yountville, California area as they recover from wounds before transitioning into civilian life. CBS reported that the program is specifically designed to treat veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is operated by the California Department of Veteran’s Affairs. CALVET reported that the VHC-Yountville is “the largest veteran’s home in the United States, offering residential accommodations with a wealth of recreational, social, and therapeutic activities for independent living.”
Around 1,000 residents live on the property. Care is provided for medical needs, including mental health needs. The facility is also equipped to care for elderly veterans. The site has an independent living facility, assisted living for the elderly program, intermediate care program, skilled nursing care, and a “Memory Care Center for residents with various forms of dementia.” Two of the victims killed were staff psychologists, providing mental healthcare to veterans in need.
The home is also used by other community organizations, including a group of 70 students who were inside the Lincoln Theater on the property at the time of the hostage crisis. The students were placed in lock down and safely evacuated, according to the sheriff’s office. A memorial for the three women is scheduled for March 19th in the same theater.
While operations are currently paused, the organization remains committed to its mission. “The need for The Pathway Home and the debt we owe to our veterans both endure,” Salmon stated. “All of us are dedicated to fulfilling an important mission.”
A community in mourning
Yountville is a small, scenic town located in Napa Valley, near the larger metropolitan area of San Francisco. Known for world-class wine and food, Napa Valley offers a restful place for veterans to receive care.
In October 2017, the area was devastated by wildfires that burned almost 250,000 acres. Many of the area’s residents, including those at the Veterans Home of California- Yountville, had to evacuate as a result of the fires.
The deaths of Loeber, Gonzales, and Golick bring tragedy back to this northern California community. “Napa County is a healing, compassionate, generous, and loving community that always comes together in a crisis. We’ve witnessed this through floods, fires, and now, the unimaginable violent tragedy we experienced last Friday at The Pathway Home,” shared Salmon.
