Man accused of killing Long Beach fire captain at retirement home dies of natural causes

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- (KTLA) -- The 77-year-old man charged with fatally shooting a fire captain at a Long Beach retirement home in late June died of natural causes on Monday, according to authorities.

What started out as a report of a fire alarm going off at Covenant Manor, a retirement home located along East Fourth Street, turned into a deadly shooting on the morning of June 25.

Just two days later, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed charges of murder and other criminal counts against Thomas Kim, the man accused of shooting a fire captain dead.

On Monday, just after 3 a.m., Kim died from a pre-existing medical condition, according to Deputy Wally Bracks of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

According to prosecutors, the 77-year-old was feuding with a female neighbor at his retirement home when he decided to try to kill her. Investigators believe he may have also been trying to kill himself, as police said a note recovered from the scene suggests.

Kim allegedly set off an explosive device inside his apartment at the 11-story facility — triggering an emergency response by fire officials just before 4 a.m.