WASCO, Calif. — A domestic violence call in rural Southern California that escalated Sunday to a standoff left five people dead, including a sheriff’s deputy, authorities confirmed Monday.
Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Phillip Campas, 35, and the suspect, a 41-year-old man who has not been identified publicly, were among those killed, KGET reported. A family member later confirmed to the TV station that three people who were inside the home during the rampage were also killed.
Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Phillip Campas, End of Watch 7/25/21. pic.twitter.com/pyc00o2DPS
— Mike (Wear A Mask) Thompson (@RepThompson) July 26, 2021
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood identified those found dead inside the home as a 42-year-old woman and two males, ages 24 and 17. The two male victims were sons of the shooter, and the woman was their mother, the sheriff said.
Three other sheriff’s deputies, including Deputy Dizander Guerrero, who approached the active scene alongside Campas, were injured in the shooting but are expected to recover, NBC News reported.
The situation began after a 911 call was placed at around 1 p.m. Sunday reporting that an armed man had shown up at a Wasco home in violation of a restraining order, the network reported.
Youngblood also confirmed to reporters that a woman fleeing the home told responding deputies that at least two people inside the house had been shot. The suspect then barricaded himself inside the home, prompting the hourslong standoff.
According to NBC News, deputies Campas and Guerrero approached the home after calling for backup and were shot. Campas died a short while later at an area hospital, while Guerrero was treated and released. The two other wounded deputies were struck by shrapnel and suffered only minor injuries.
Members of the community are paying their respects to the fallen @KernCoSheriff deputy. Roses 🌹, flowers, and candles were place in front of the Wasco KCSO substation overnight. pic.twitter.com/EM1KkZWbSW
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) July 26, 2021
Youngblood said the suspect was killed by deputies at 6:28 p.m. after he climbed onto the home’s roof, armed with an AK-47 rifle and a handgun, the network reported.
Campas, a five-year veteran of the department and a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan, is survived by his wife and two young children, KGET reported.
Meanwhile, Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia ordered the flags at City Hall lowered in honor of the fallen deputy and three other victims, NBC News reported.
“Nothing can prepare us for tragedies such as these,” Garcia said in prepared statement. “In an instant our lives can change forever.”
Locals have begun organizing a candlelight vigil for the fallen officer & families impacted by Sunday’s tragic events. Everyone is invited to pray & mourn with Wasco this week! 🙏🏽 🕯 #OneWasco
— Mayor Alex Garcia (@MayorAlexGarcia) July 26, 2021
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Tuesday, July 27 at 8pm
749 7th Street Wasco, CA 93280 pic.twitter.com/o8i6S7BL66
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