A security specialist has been arrested for allegedly shooting a 22-year-old graduate dead in San Francisco.
Police arrested Nation Wood, 25, in connection with the killing, which took place at a property in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 24. The victim was later identified as Samantha Emge, a 2025 graduate of San Francisco State University.
Officers from the San Francisco Police Department raced to the address at 10.43 pm and discovered a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound, according to an SFPD press release.
Despite the efforts of paramedics and the victim being transported to a local hospital for treatment, she passed away from her injuries at the medical facility, police said.
One of Emge’s friends claimed to The SF Standard that Wood was the victim’s boyfriend.
Police told CBS San Francisco that Wood was detained upon the officers’ arrival at the scene of the shooting, before being arrested the following morning.
Wood has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and has been booked into the San Francisco County Jail, the SFPD statement revealed.
Supervisor Alan Wong, who represents the area, told Mission Local that “early information suggests that this may not have been an intentional act.”
Wood and Emge are photographed together on the latter’s Instagram account, in a post showing the pair smiling and sporting baseball caps.
“Travelled, ate, built a table, and became a real adult in 2025,” Emge captioned the post.
Wood’s father, Michael, told The SF Standard that he had no comment on “this horrible, horrific tragedy.”
According to Wood’s LinkedIn page, he worked as an advance staff at the White House from November 2023 until July 2025.
On his LinkedIn page, the suspect shared a photo showing him with former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in 2024.
“Very grateful to have had the opportunity to help the VP with her trip to APEC in San Francisco,” the post reads.
Wood was a political science and government major at SFSU, graduating in May 2024, his account states. He describes his job as an independent pre-event site security adviser.
Prior to studying at SF State, Wood attended Saddleback College, where he earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies. While attending the school, he played for the Saddleback Bobcats, the college’s baseball team, according to the team’s website.
He later played for the Walla Walla Sweets, a Washington-based amateur baseball team.
In high school, Wood was a two-time all-state selection and a three-time all-conference selection. He won the conference MVP award in 2019.
According to Emge’s LinkedIn account, she studied interior design and architecture at SF State from August 2021 until May 2025. After graduating, she became a design assistant at Chantal Lamberto Interior Design.
“San Francisco State University extends its deepest condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her during this profoundly difficult time,” Dave Knutson, a spokesperson for SF State, told The SF Standard.
The Independent has contacted the White House, the SFPD and SFSU for comment.
