Nation Wood, aged 25, who was previously an advance security staffer linked to the Biden administration, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the tragic death of 22-year-old Samantha Katherine Emge.
The incident took place on the evening of March 24 in San Francisco’s Sunset District. Authorities were called to the residence around 10:43 p.m. after reports of a shooting.
When officers arrived, they found Emge with a gunshot wound. She was promptly taken to a local hospital, where she was declared dead shortly after.
Following the incident, homicide investigators gathered sufficient evidence to arrest Wood the next morning. He was subsequently booked into San Francisco County Jail on the manslaughter charge.
Per court records, Wood pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on March 27. A San Francisco Superior Court Judge set his bail at $300,000.
Doug Welch, Wood’s public defender, referred to the event as a “horrific accident,” asserting that Wood would engage fully with legal proceedings.
A source with knowledge of the situation indicated that Wood had been dry-firing a handgun in the apartment, mistakenly believing it was unloaded. A bullet went through a wall, striking Emge while she was using the bathroom.
Investigative Insights
San Francisco Supervisor Alan Wong, representing the district, mentioned that initial reports suggested the shooting was unintentional, adding context to the unfolding tragedy.
Emge was on course to graduate from San Francisco State University in 2025, where she studied interior design. She had recently begun working at a design firm and appeared to have had a personal relationship with Wood, having traveled together to Yosemite National Park the previous June.
Wood, also an alumnus of San Francisco State University, studied political science and government.
On his LinkedIn profile, he referred to himself as an independent pre-event site security advisor. He worked as advance staff for the White House from November 2023 to July 2025, conducting security assessments for events attended by VIPs, which required collaboration with U.S. Secret Service personnel.
A representative from the Secret Service confirmed that Wood was not a direct employee of the agency.
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 2024, Wood provided security support for a visit by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, even sharing a photograph on LinkedIn where he posed alongside Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.
The case continues to be investigated by the San Francisco Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office, with prosecutors noting that the charges involve a death occurring “without malice.”
Wood is currently in custody, awaiting further legal proceedings.
