A shooting at a church in Sacramento, California, on Monday, left at least five people dead at the scene, including the suspected shooter, according to authorities.
The gunman shot his three children dead before taking his own life around 5 p.m. at an Arden-Arcade area church in Sacramento. The three kids died instantly from the gunshots. The fifth person, described as an adult, was also pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, which is believed to be domestic violence-related, according to authorities.
“Another senseless act of gun violence in America – this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating, California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities. We are working closely with local law enforcement.”
There was a huge law enforcement presence at the scene, including a SWAT vehicle, the Sacramento Police Department officers, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol, according to videos posted by local media on Twitter.
The gunman shot and killed his three children, who were all under the age of 15, according to Sgt. Rodney Grassmann, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office. The tragedy occurred inside the church. The identifies of the gunman and his victims involved have yet to be released, Grassmann said.
According to Morgan Rynor, a political anchor for KXTV-TV, the father had a restraining order against him and was not supposed to have a gun. The incident occurred during a supervised visit with his kids at the church, where they would often meet.
The fourth victim was an adult supervising the visit, Sheriff Scott Jones told reporters. It wasn’t clear if that victim was a social worker or a church employee.
A church district leader said the three kids killed in the shooting were the gunman’s daughters, and the father was probably suffering from a form of mental illness, according to James Queally, a Los Angeles Times reporter.
A district leader for the church tells me the victims were the shooter’s three daughters and that the shooter may have suffered from a form of mental illness. Understandably, he did not want to talk much beyond that tonight.
— James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) March 1, 2022
