Deputies investigating murder-suicide shooting at Eskaton facility in Gold River
Two people are dead following an apparent murder-suicide at a Gold River retirement community Tuesday afternoon.
Several Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies and police tape surrounded the Eskaton Lodge Gold River in the 11300 block of Coloma Road, where an investigation was underway.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Sgt. Tess Deterding said the incident took place at the facility shortly after 1 p.m., and appeared to be a murder-suicide. She said a woman who was a resident was shot by a man, who then turned the gun on himself.
“We believe there’s a relationship there, but can not confirm,” she said.
A law enforcement chaplain was seen arriving and entering the retirement home just after 2:30 p.m.
“We are devastated by the tragedy that occurred today at Eskaton Lodge Gold River and send our heartfelt condolences to the family and all individuals affected by this unimaginable incident,” said Doug Elmets, spokesman for Eskaton. “This is an active investigation, and Eskaton is working closely with local authorities.”
The facility has been off limits to visitors for more than two months as officials try to limit residents’ exposure to the coronavirus.
Eskaton Gold River is one of the six assisted-living facilities in the Sacramento area that has had confirmed COVID-19 deaths among its residents.
It’s unclear how many residents at Eskaton Gold River have died of health complications from COVID-19, because the California Department of Social Services, which oversees assisted-living facilities, does not provide specific death counts if the number of cases does not exceed 10.
A similar shooting took place at an elderly care facility in Carmichael in August. In that incident, the husband shot and killed his wife inside a room at the Aegis Living Carmichael facility before turning the gun on himself.
Colleen Zoller’s father has lived at the Gold River retirement home for the past two years. She was alarmed Tuesday afternoon, when she drove by and stopped to check on him. Like others, she was not allowed to go inside while detectives investigated inside the facility.
She was sure her father was not involved in Tuesday’s shooting, or else the facility staff would’ve called her. She says they call once a week to update her on her father. He just turned 100 years old last week.
Zoller said she can visit him at the facility, but she has to schedule a visit in advance. She says staff brings him outside. They gather for a visit, but everyone is 6 feet from each other and wearing masks.
“It’s been very hard (during the coronavirus pandemic), because I was here visiting him every day,” said Zoller, who lives about four blocks from the retirement home.
Her family originally planned a birthday party for her father and arranged for a large room at the facility to celebrate his 100th birthday on Memorial Day Weekend. Instead, the family sent him a binder with well wishes that she gave him. Zoller said the facility started creating visiting restrictions before Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order March 19.
She said her father has told her stories about him experiencing a quarantine when he was a child in Oregon. She says her father doesn’t remember if it was Scarlet fever or the measles, but his mother kept him home for quite some time.
“He understands the pandemic, but he gets lonely,” Zoller said about her father. “They have to eat alone in their rooms, so they kind of get isolated. But the staff are really caring here. ... My dad is really happy here. He doesn’t complain about the people here or the staff. It just gets very quiet in quranatine.”
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 2:58 PM.
