Veterans health care center closes after deadly hostage situation
April 04, 2018
A part of the Veterans Home of California, the Pathway Home in Yountville, California is closing for an unspecified amount of time after employees were taken hostage by a gunman and killed. The home provided academic and vocational care for post-911 veterans in preparation for returning to the civilian world.
The Pathway Home’s board of directors said in a statement, “Veterans who have been in the program’s care will be supported by mental health and other services in cooperation with the federal Veterans Administration and local Napa County and nonprofit providers.”
The gunman, Albert Wong, 36, from Sacramento, California was found dead at the crime scene along with three hostages. Wong entered the Pathway Home with a loaded rifle and took people hostage. According to a report, a deputy and the gunman fired at each other and the gunman released some hostages.
The three dead hostages were: Dr. Jennifer Gonzales, a psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs; Christine Loeber, the executive director of the home and Dr. Jen Golick, a staff psychologist.
State Senator Bill Dodd said of the veterans in the program, “These are young men or women that have been on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq and come back with a traumatic brain disorder.”
The center at Yountville is the largest home for veterans in the United States. The campus is home to 1,000 military veterans, supporting them with dementia care, skilled nursing care and independent living.