On July 25, 2021, a shooting at a residence on 1st Street in Wasco, California, left multiple members of one family dead and a Kern County deputy killed in the line of duty. Jose Manuel Ramirez Jr., 24, is reported to have shot his partner, Viviana Ramirez, 42, and their two sons, Jose Manuel Ramirez III, 24, and Angel Ramirez, 17, before exchanging gunfire with responding deputies. SWAT Deputy Phillip Campas was fatally shot while attempting to enter the home.

Ramirez Jr. was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and a handgun, and deputies say the incident began as a domestic dispute that escalated into a prolonged standoff. He climbed onto the roof and continued firing; deputies ultimately shot and killed him. A restraining order had been issued prohibiting Ramirez Jr. from owning firearms.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office reviewed body-camera footage and 911 recordings and stated the deputies involved acted within department policy. Memorials were held for Deputy Campas and the family members who were killed.

If anyone has information about the victims’ lives or the events that led up to this shooting, please share what is known.