A gunman killed during a home invasion and shootout with police in San Mateo on Tuesday has been identified as 22-year-old Raymond Gee of Oakland.
Gee was found dead inside the back bedroom of a house on Hobart Avenue after a violent chain of events unfolded there Tuesday morning.
The husband of 24-year-old Loan Kim Nguyen contacted police shortly after 9:30 a.m. to report that she had sent him a text message saying she was being robbed at gunpoint while at home with her 1-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
Police said the shooter knew the woman. Gee apparently was stalking Nguyen, according to preliminary police investigations. Police said Gee was somehow stalking Ngyuen over the Internet over the past several weeks.
Neighbors told police that they had seen Gee's car around the neighborhood before. Gee apparently waited for Ngyuen's husband to leave for work before entering the home, police said.
Police Chief Susan Manheimer said that as officers arrived at the home in response to the husband's 911 call they saw the armed suspect beating Nguyen through a front window.
They attempted to enter but Gee fired a shot from a handgun prompting police to retreat. A SWAT team was called in and hostage negotiators attempted to contact Gee. He refused to negotiate, Manheimer said.
At that time, the woman had barricaded herself and her two children in a back bedroom. She was in contact with officers and told them she wanted to lower the children out the window.
At some point while Nguyen was handing her children to officers, Gee began shooting through a wall toward her and the officers. SWAT team members returned fire as the children were rushed to safety, police said.
While Nguyen was still in the window she was hit by gunfire and "crumpled down," Manheim said. Officers entered the home and removed Nguyen, who was taken to Stanford Hospital where she later died.
Preliminary reports from the county coroner revealed Nguyen was killed by a bullet fired by Gee.
Police preliminarily ruled Gee's death a suicide.
