Father shoots, kills his 3 children inside Sacramento County church before killing self, officials say

Sacramento Sheriff says fifth person killed was supervising visit between father and children

Updated: 9:23 AM PST Mar 1, 2022

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NIGHT’S SLEEP!] >> THIS IS KCRA THREE NEWS ON MY58. WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. ANDREA: THAT BREAKING NEWS IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. A MAN MURDERING FOUR PEEOPL INCLUDING THREE OF HIS OWN , CHILDREN BEFORE TANGKI HIS OWN LIFE. >> I’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED SOMETHING LIKE THIS, SO THIS IS ALL VERY NEW FOR ME, AND I’M NOT SURE HOW TO PROCESS ANY OF TS.HI ANDREA: TONIGHT WE’VE LEARNED THE CHILDREN WERE ALL GIRLS. AGES 9, 10, AND 13. BRIAN: THIS HAPPENED AROUND 005: THIS EVENING AT A CHURCH IN THE ARDEN AREA. IT’S CALLED THE CHURCH IN SACRAMENTO ON WYDA WAY NEAR ETHAN WAY. WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE OF THIS SHOOTING TONIGHT. WE BEGIN WITH KCRA 3 ANCHOR GULSTAN RTDA REPORTER: I’M ON WIDE AWAY. YOU CAN SEE SOME POLICE BEHIND ME. THERE’S STILL A SIZABLE POLICE PRESCEEN. WE ARE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CHURCH ISAN CRAMENTO. THAT IS IT ACROSS THE STREET. A MUCH WIDER SCENE RIGHT NOW. VERY DIFFERENT ABOUT FIVE HOURS AGO. WE FIRST STARTED COVERING THE STORY AROUND 5:20, WE HAD LIVECOPTER3 OV THEER SHOP — OVER THE SAME. GETTING DOZENS OF POLICE AND FIRE UNITS ON THE SCENE RESPONDING TO THIS INCIDENT. AT THE TIME WE WERE TRYING TO OBTAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED. ITID D NOTICE OFFICERS RUNNING OUT OF THAT CHURCWITHH GUNS, RIFLES. BRGIINNG SOMEBODY OUT ON A STRETCHER, TRYING TO GET CPR. THE PERSON LATER DIED IN THE DRIVEWAY. WE LEARNED THE TERRIBLE NEWS ABOUT THE THREE CHILDREN, SHOT TO DEATH BY THEIR FATHER IN EIGHT SANCTUARIES OF A PLACE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS, LET’S GO TO MELANIE WINGO. REPORTER: >> JUST WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS, WE LEARNED THAT THE VICTIMS, THE CHILDREN IN THIS INCIDENT, WERE ALL FEMALES. EITHR AGES ARE NINE, 10, AND 13. ALL THREE GIRLS KILLED BY THEIR FATHER ALONG THEIR CHAPERONE ON A SUPERVISED VISIT. BEFORE THE FATHER TURNED THE GUN ON HIMSELF. >> IT’S JUST HORRIFIC. REPORT:ER SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF SCOTT JONES, DESCRIBING A SHOOTING WHERE A FATHER KILLED HIS RETHE ILCHDREN AND AN ADULT, BEFORE TURNING THE GUN ON HIMSELF. >> THIS OBVIOUSLY RISING TO THE LEVEL OF KILLING INNOCENT CHILDREN, IS OBVIOUSLY BEYOND ANYONE’S RATIONAL COMPREHENSION. REPORTER: THE SHERIFF EXPLAINING , THE CHILDRENER WE ON A SUPERVISED VISIT WITH THEIR FATHER, WITH THE CHURCH BEING THE NEUTRAL LOCATION FOR THEIR VISIT. THE PERS SONUPERVISING THE VISIT, ALSO KILLED, ACCORDING TO THE SHERIFF. THE MOTHER OF THE ILCHDREN, THE SHERIFF SAYS, HAD A RESTRAINING ORDER OUT AGAINST HER CHILDREN’S FATHER. >> A CRIME OF THIS MAGNITUDE WHERE THERE’S SO MUCH DEATH AND DESTRUIOCTN AND DELIBERATION AND VIOLENCE THAT IS FORTUNATELY , VERY RARE. REPORTER: THEIR CONNECTION TO THE CHURCH, UNCLEAR RIGHT NOW. THE MASSIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE ARRIVING AT THE CHURCH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOOTING, RULING OUT THIS BEING AN ACT AGAIT NSTHE HOUSE OF WORSHIP OR THE PARISHIONERS IN IT. >> THIS IS RESPONDED WITH EVERYONE INCLUDING THE FBI BECAUSE THIS CAME OUT AS AN ACTIVE SHOOTER AT A CHURCH THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT RAISE OUR SUSPICIONS TO THE NTH DEGREE. IT IS NOT A RANDOM ACTF O VIOLENCE OR TERRORISM. REPORTER: BUT THE FATHER AT’S MOTIVE FOR THE KILLINGS, SOMETHING THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE WILL INVESTIGATE IN THE COMING DAYS. >> EVEN THOUGH THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS WON’T REVERSE WHAT HAPPENED, JUST AN UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN GET THE ANSWERS D ANTRY AND UNDERSTAND, PERHAPS, FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE WHY IT HAPPED. REPORTER: I ALSO JUST LEARNED FROM THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE THAT THE MOTHER OF THE CHILDREN DOES NOT VELI IN TOWN. WE COULD NOT CONFIRM WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE WHERE SHE DOES LIVE. THEY SAYING SHE DOES VELI TO — SHE IS HEADED TO THE AREA. WE HAVE REPORTED DROUGHT THE EVENING ATTH THE MOTHER HAD A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST THE FATHER OF THE CHILDREN. I ALSO CONFIRMED WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE THAT SINCE ATTH IS THE CASE, HE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LEGALLY ALLOWED TO POSSESS A GUN. ALSO, SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS NOT RELEASING THE NAME OR GENDER OF ETH PERSON WHO WAS THE CHAPERONE ON THE SUPERVISED VISIT, NOR THE NAME OF THE SHOOTER. THAT HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED WITH US. I JUST SPOKE WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE WITHIN THE LAST HALF-HOUR. THEY ARE NOT RELEASING THAT INFORMATION TO THE MEDIA YET. GHOLSTON: JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT MOTHER. SO MANY HEARTS AND MINDS. THIS IS AN INTERESTINGREA A ON WYDA WAY. THERE’S COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL. THERE ARE APARTMENTS AND TOWNHOMES INHE T AA.RE LOTS OF FAMILIES. I SEE LOTS OF CHILDREN. YOU CAN IMAGINTHEE FEAR THAT RAN THROUGH FAMILIES WHEN THEY HEARD THOSE GUNSHOTS RANG OUT. BRITTANY HOPE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE NEIGHBORS ABOUT WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH. REPORTER: EVERYONE WE SPOKE TO TONIGHT IN THIS IGNEHBORHOOD SAID THEY’RE USED TO SEEING POLICE HERE. SEEING SOME DIFFERE INTNCENIDTS GO ON, IT IS NOT THE SAFEST AREA. BUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS – A FATHER KILLING HIS OWN CHILDREN – IS UNBELIEVABLE. >> THE HELICOPTER IS SAYING LOCK YOUR DOORS. REPORTER: 13-YEAR-OLD KAYLA, AS SHE WAS PAINTING HER TOENAILS AT HER HOUSE TODAY. >> WAS ON THE WHOLE SWAT TEAM OUTSIDE. REPORT:ER SHE LIVES NEAR THE CHURCH IN SACRAMENTO WHERE AUURCH IN SACRAMENTO WHERE THORITIES SAY A FATHER SHOT AND KILLED HIS THREE YOUNG CHILENDR AND THE PERSON WHO WAS SUPERVISING THEIR VISIT. THIS TEEN CAN’T UNDERSTA HNDOW SOMEONE AROUND HER AGE COULD BE KILLED BY THEIR OWN PARENT. >> I’M SORRY THAT YOU GUYS HAD TO DIE SOON. I KNOW IT WASN’T YOUR TIME. YOUR DAD SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE THAT. I DON’T KNOW WHY HE DID THAT. REPORTER: TSHI FAMILIES HOME IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CHURCH. THEY DID NOT HEAR THE GUNSHOTS BUT RUEDSH OUTSIDE WHEN DEPUTIES FLOODED THEIR STREET. >>T I WAS CRAZY HOW FAST EVERYONE RESPONDED AND HOW MANY RESPONDED. WE KNEW IT WAS SIOUSER. REPORTER: DENNIS WAS VISITING HISRO BTH WERHEN THE CHAOS BEGAN. >> HOW PEOPLE CAN DO STUFF LIKE THAT, THE STUFF THAT’S’GOGIN ON IN THIS WORLD NOWADAYS, IT IS NOT GOD’S SCENT. IT IS DISGUSTING HOW PEOPLE ARE TURNING ON THEIR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO HAVEN’T STARTED LIFE YET. REPOER:RT FOR SAMANTHA SANCHEZ, IT IS HITTING TOO CLOSE TO HOME. >> I HAVE NO WORDS FOR ANY OF THIS RIGHT NOW. I WONDER WHAT PUTS A PERSON IN THE MINDSET TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. REPORTER: SHE DOESN’T KNOW IF SHE WILL LET HER LITTLE ONES PLAY IN THEIR OWN FRONT YD.AR >> I’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT’S NEW FOR ME. I’M NOT SURE HOW TO PROCESS ANY OF THIS. REPORTER: TONHTIG, ALL THIS FAMILY CAN DO IS BE WITH EACH OTHER. >> TONIGHT WE SHOULD MAKE SURE OUR KIDS KNOW THAT WE LOVE THEM A LITTLE EXTRA. REPORTER: SOBERING WORDS TONHTIG FROM THAT FATHER WHO LIVES JUST ACROSS THE STREET. OUT HERE LIVE, YOU CAN SEE POLICE STILL BLOCKING THE SIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON WYDA WAY WHERE THAT CHUHRC AND — CHURCHES. YOU CAN FEEL THE DISBELIEF IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT JUST FROM THE PEOPLE HE SPOKE TO WHO LIVE ACROSS THE STREET OR ACROSS THE BLOCK, THAT THE ENTIRE NIGHT, PEOPLE WHO WERE BLOCKS AWAY, THEY HEARD WHAT WAS HAPPENING. U YOHEARD AUDIBLED DISBELIEF FROM EVERYONE STANDING NEAR OUR CAMERA. THE FEELINGS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TONIGHT, IT IS HEAVY, UNIMAGINABLE WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT. REPORTER: YOU JUST CAN’T MAKE SENSE OF HOW THIS HAPPENED AND WHY IT HAD TO HAPPEN .THANKS FOR THAT PART OF OUR COVERAGE. WE STARTED COVERING THIS ON KCRA ABOUT 5:20. THE FIRST CALL WENT OUT ABOUT 005: OR 7 — 5:07. >> A CHURCINH SACRAMENTO, 23 01 WYDA WAY. COLOR IS STATINGHE TRE IS A MAN WITH A GUN IN THE CHURCH, SHOOTING. >>T AA CHURCH, THEY’RE RESPONDING TO AN ACTIVE SHOOTER WHILE A SERVICE IBEINS G LDHE. >> SHOOTING IINS RO PGRESS. >> I’M NOT HEARING ACTIVE GUNFIRE. >> COPY. >> CAN WE GET UNITS WITH BRIDGING TOOLS? >> WE GOT FIVE JUVENILES DOWN. MUCH VOTE RIFLE CASINGS. — MULTIPLE RIFLE CASINGS. >> SHOOTING INSIDE OF A CHURCH. >>E W ARE GOING TO NEED MULTIPLE FIRE AND EMS. BRIAN: SOME CALL HIM ON THE PART OF DISPATCH TRIED TO GET OUT THOSE VIL TAPIESEC OF INFORMATION SO FIRST RESPONDERS GOOD OUT HERE AS WELLS A LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE ARE ALSO HEARING FROM LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS, GOVERNOR WSNEOM TWEETING THIS OUT SING ANOTHER SENSELESS ACT OF GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA, THIS TIME IN OURAC BKYARD. IN A CHURCH WITH KIDS INSIDE. SOABLUTELY DEVASTATING. OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. ALSO, SACRAMENTO MAY DORARRELL STEINBERG TWEETED THIS SAYING THIS IS NOT UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY IT HAPPENS TOO OFTEN, AND , TONIGHT IT HAPPENED IN OUR BACKYARD. FIRST THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SAME TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO HAVE TO CONFRONT SUCH A HORRIBLE SCE.EN AS WE COME BACK HERE LIVE TO THE SCENE WHERE YOU CAN’T SEE THEM, THERE AREO S PLENTY OF POLICE UNITS DOWN HERE, YOU CAN SEE ONE DOWN HERE AND ON ETHAN WAY. AS PLEASE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THEIR INVESTIGATION, TO KEEP SOME CROWDS OUT OF HERE. I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH THE WOMAN AT TSHI APARTMENT COMPLEX. SHE’S ABOUT FOUR FOOT1 1 INCHES, SHE WENT TO SHOW ME HER TASER AND PEPPER SPRAY. SHE HEARD THE SHOTS EARLIER TODAY, SHE SAID SHE HIT THE GROUND AND WAS REALLY SCARED. SHE SAID THIS AREA IS WYDA WAY, SOME LOCALS CALL IT WIDE AWAKE BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVITY OUT HERE SOME NIGHTS. A LOT OF FOLKSRE A WIDE AWAKE TONIGHT BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER.

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Father shoots, kills his 3 children inside Sacramento County church before killing self, officials say

Sacramento Sheriff says fifth person killed was supervising visit between father and children

Updated: 9:23 AM PST Mar 1, 2022

Five people are dead after a shooting inside a church in the Arden area of Sacramento County, officials said.A father shot and killed his three children inside the Church in Sacramento before shooting and killing himself during what Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said was a supervised visit. The fifth victim was a person supervising the visit.Jones said the mother has a restraining order against the father. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Rodney Grassmann said the three children killed were all girls. They were 9, 10 and 13 years old.Grassmann also said people with restraining orders against them are not legally allowed to have a firearm.Leer en españolA church worker who was upstairs heard the shots around 5:07 p.m. and went outside to call dispatchers, the sheriff’s office said. Watch the full interview with a Sacramento County spokesperson belowThe girls who died were all Natomas Unified School District students who attended Bannon Creek School and Leroy Greene Academy, the district said Tuesday.”There are very few words that can give comfort right now for this unspeakable tragedy. There will be a range of emotions from our students and staff, particularly at the schools where the students attended – Bannon Creek and Leroy Greene Academy,” Natomas Unified officials said in a statement.A social-emotional support team and chaplains from the Sacramento Police Department will be at the schools Tuesday morning to provide grief counseling and support to students.Nearby residents were originally asked by deputies to stay indoors.Video from LiveCopter 3 showed first responders carrying a person through the church parking lot. They tried to resuscitate that person. After repeated attempts, they were not successful.Jones said several agencies are involved in the investigation, including the FBI, which responded after initial reports were that it was an active shooter situation.”When something big like this happens, everyone comes to help us out,” Grassmann said. “Everybody has come out of their own jurisdiction to come to do what they can to help out not knowing how big this scene would be or how long it would go on.”KCRA 3’s Brittany Hope and Melanie Wingo contributed to this reporting.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Five people are dead after a shooting inside a church in the Arden area of Sacramento County, officials said.

A father shot and killed his three children inside the Church in Sacramento before shooting and killing himself during what Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said was a supervised visit. The fifth victim was a person supervising the visit.

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Jones said the mother has a restraining order against the father. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Rodney Grassmann said the three children killed were all girls. They were 9, 10 and 13 years old.

Grassmann also said people with restraining orders against them are not legally allowed to have a firearm.

Leer en español

A church worker who was upstairs heard the shots around 5:07 p.m. and went outside to call dispatchers, the sheriff’s office said.

Watch the full interview with a Sacramento County spokesperson below

The girls who died were all Natomas Unified School District students who attended Bannon Creek School and Leroy Greene Academy, the district said Tuesday.

“There are very few words that can give comfort right now for this unspeakable tragedy. There will be a range of emotions from our students and staff, particularly at the schools where the students attended – Bannon Creek and Leroy Greene Academy,” Natomas Unified officials said in a statement.

A social-emotional support team and chaplains from the Sacramento Police Department will be at the schools Tuesday morning to provide grief counseling and support to students.

Nearby residents were originally asked by deputies to stay indoors.

Video from LiveCopter 3 showed first responders carrying a person through the church parking lot. They tried to resuscitate that person. After repeated attempts, they were not successful.

Jones said several agencies are involved in the investigation, including the FBI, which responded after initial reports were that it was an active shooter situation.

“When something big like this happens, everyone comes to help us out,” Grassmann said. “Everybody has come out of their own jurisdiction to come to do what they can to help out not knowing how big this scene would be or how long it would go on.”

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This is an unspeakable tragedy. It happens too often, and tonight it happened in our backyard. First thoughts are with the victims and their families. Same to the first responders who have to confront such a horrible scene. Will say more as we learn more. https://t.co/sv1BMceuQ2

— @mayor_Steinberg (@Mayor_Steinberg) March 1, 2022

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Another senseless act of gun violence in America – this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating.

Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities.

We are working closely with local law enforcement.

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 1, 2022

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KCRA 3’s Brittany Hope and Melanie Wingo contributed to this reporting.