Five people dead during standoff at man’s house

A MAN barricaded himself in a house after telling police he had killed three relatives, then opened fire on a SWAT team yesterday.

Five people, including an officer and the gunman, were killed, police said.

The standoff began at about 9pm on Wednesday in a house in the San Fernando Valley. Nearly six hours later, police lobbed tear gas into the home and hit it repeatedly with a battering ram. Less than 90 minutes later, the house could be seen on fire.

Two officers were shot inside the home shortly after they arrived, assistant police chief Jim McDonnell said at a news conference.

Mr McDonnell said police later exchanged gunfire with the suspect again and he went down. After the fire, the suspect was taken into custody and pronounced dead at the scene.

Both officers were taken to Northridge Medical Centre where one of them, 51-year-Randal Simmons, died just after 1am, Mr McDonnell said. The other, 51-year-old James Veenstra, was undergoing surgery, and was expected to survive, Mr McDonnell said.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he had visited with the family of the slain officer. Mr Simmons leaves a wife and two children. Mr Veenstra’s wife is a captain on the force.

“Our hearts go out to all the members of the LAPD who also are grieving at this time,” Mr Villaraigosa said.