A former White House staffer is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge after authorities accused him of fatally shooting his girlfriend inside a San Francisco apartment.
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Prosecutors charged 25-year-old Nation Wood in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 22-year-old Samantha Emge, following a shooting on March 24, 2026. According to police, officers responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment shortly before 11 p.m. and found Emge suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency responders transported her to a hospital, where she later died despite life-saving efforts.
Investigators allege that Wood fired the gun while handling it inside the apartment. Reports indicate the bullet traveled through a wall and struck Emge while she was in the bathroom.
Nation Woods Pleaded Not Guilty To Charges
Authorities arrested Wood shortly after the incident. He has since pleaded not guilty to the charge in court. His public defender described the shooting as a “horrific accident” and said Wood has expressed remorse.
“I think that Mr. Wood will do everything he can to do right,” he said. “There is no indication that he will go anywhere. He doesn’t have a record. He’s not going to disobey any court order.”
A judge set Wood’s bail at $300,000. If released, he must comply with conditions that include monitoring and restrictions related to firearms, according to court proceedings.
Wood previously worked as a part-time staffer at the White House from late 2023 to mid-2025, according to publicly available records and reporting. More recently, he worked in a security-related role and had planned to join the National Guard.
Emge was a recent graduate of San Francisco State University, where she studied interior design and architecture. She worked as a design assistant at a San Francisco firm prior to her death.
The case remains under investigation, and authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the shooting.
The fatal incident has drawn attention due to Wood’s former role in government and the circumstances described by investigators. Prosecutors continue to pursue the manslaughter charge as the legal process moves forward.