A law enforcement officer checks a vehicle outside the Veterans Home of California in Napa County, Califonia, the United States, on March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

SAN FRANCISCO, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A gunman on Friday took three people hostage at a veterans home in the U.S. state of California and the standoff was still continuing, local media reported.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said via Twitter that it was responding to an active shooter and hostage situation at a veterans home at Yountville.

Local TV KRON4 reported the suspect is believed to be a 36-year-old man who was a member of The Pathway Home, a privately run program for military veterans with emotional trauma.

There were preliminary reports of 30 shots fired outside the main dining area of the Veterans Home of California in Napa County, about 84 km north of San Francisco.

The sheriff's office said that multiple shots had been fired at officers, but there were no reports of any casualties.