Four people were killed Monday night when a father fatally shot three of his children and one other person at a church in Sacramento, California, local officials said. The suspect, whose name has not been released, died by suicide after shooting the four people, officials said.
The shooting occurred at approximately 5 p.m. local time, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said at a press conference. It took place inside a church called The Church in Sacramento, CBS Sacramento reported.
The spokesperson said three of the four victims were the man’s children, all of whom were under the age of 15. According to Sacramento Sherriff Scott Jones, the children’s mother had a restraining order against the father, The Associated Press reports.
Jones said that investigators think the shooting happened during a supervised visit with the children and the fourth victim was their chaperone, according to AP.
All of the victims died at the scene, officials said.
The spokesperson said it’s not yet clear why the family was at the church, but said other people were in the building at the time of the shooting. He added that he expects police will be at the scene late into the night gathering evidence.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said it was “actively monitoring” the shooting, adding, “Our thoughts are with the community, parishioners, and all those impacted by this horrific event.”
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
