Two men found dead in a Long Beach home after a suspect fired at police and SWAT moved in

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A Long Beach Police Department patrol car parked on a city street

Two men found dead in a Long Beach home after a suspect fired at police and SWAT moved in

Police were called to the 3700 block of Gardenia Avenue about 1:45 a.m. Saturday for a report of two gunshots. No officers were hurt. The men have not been identified.

By Alberto Zamudio | The Southbound 105 | Oct. 18, 2026

Long Beach police are investigating how two men ended up dead inside a California Heights home after an early-morning standoff on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Officers were sent at about 1:45 a.m. to a "shots" call in the 3700 block of Gardenia Avenue, near Cherry Avenue and Bixby Road, according to a police statement reported by City News Service via NBC Los Angeles. The caller reported hearing two shots from a nearby home.

What police say happened

"Shortly after arriving on scene, officers contacted a male adult suspect, who was in the residence," police said. "The suspect threatened to shoot the officers. Officers retreated to a safe distance and requested assistance."

Police said the man then fired at officers, and one officer fired back. The man stayed inside, and the department's SWAT team was called in.

When SWAT officers eventually entered the home, they found two men dead from gunshot wounds to the upper body, police said. No officers were injured.

Police said multiple firearms and other evidence were recovered inside the home.

Many questions still open

Police have not identified either man. They also have not said how each man died, or whether the man who fired at officers is one of the two found dead.

"At this time, the circumstances for each decedent's death remain under investigation," police said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Long Beach police did not respond to questions about whether officers fired their weapons when they entered the home.

Body-camera video

Officers were wearing body-worn cameras, police said. "LBPD is in the process of reviewing the footage and will make that available to the public as soon as possible," the department said.

Why it matters

California Heights is a residential neighborhood in north Long Beach, near Bixby Knolls. Any police shooting in the city brings a review of officers' actions, and the release of body-camera footage will be the next public step. The Southbound 105 will update this story when police release the men's names or the video.

If you have information

Long Beach police generally ask anyone with information about a crime to contact the department's homicide detail or, to stay anonymous, LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Want more local news? Read more at The Southbound 105.

Cover photo: Mark Mauno, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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