Authorities say a father shot and murdered his three children, their chaperone, and himself during a supervised visit with the girls at a Sacramento church on Monday.
According to Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Rod Grassmann, deputies responding to reports of shooting at 5 p.m. discovered five individuals dead at the church in the Arden-Arcade area, including the gunman.
Three girls, aged 9, 10, and 13, were among the casualties, according to Grassmann.
Sheriff Scott Jones said the shooter was estranged from his girls’ mother, who had a restraining order against him.
According to Jones, investigators think the incident occurred during a supervised visit with the youngsters, with the fourth victim being their chaperone.
The shooter’s identity was not immediately published, but he was 39 years old, according to officials.
According to Grassmann, an employee of The Church In Sacramento heard the gunshots and phoned 911.
Officials from the sheriff’s office are looking into it as a domestic violence incident, he added.
Officials were unsure if the family members were members of the church, which is located on a primarily residential street near a business district east of downtown Sacramento.
According to its website, the Church in Sacramento serves English, Chinese, and Spanish attendees. On its web calendar, there were no activities scheduled for Monday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom stated that his administration was cooperating with local authorities.
“Another senseless act of gun violence in the United States – this time in our own backyard.” Inside a church with children. “It’s just terrible,” Newsom tweeted.
