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Father shoots, kills his three children before killing himself inside The Church of Sacramento

A man shot and killed his three children, their chaperone, and himself at a Sacramento, Calif. church on Monday, according to local authorities.

At 5:07 p.m. local time, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire after a church employee heard shots, left the area, and called 911. When officers arrived, they found five people dead, including the gunman,Sgt. Rod Grassmannsaid after the incident.

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Father shoots, kills his three children before killing himself inside The Church of Sacramento

Investigators believe the incident occurred during one of the supervised visits, Jones added. The victims include his three daughters — ages 9, 10, and 13 — and their chaperone.

Grassmann called the shooting a “domestic violence incident.”

Police said a motive is currently unknown and the shooting is under investigation with several departments.

“When something big like this happens, everyone comes to help us out,” Grassmann told reporters. “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.”

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JOHN G MABANGLO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Father shoots, kills his three children before killing himself inside The Church of Sacramento

“Another senseless act of gun violence in America — this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating,” hetweeted. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities. We are working closely with local law enforcement.”

Mayor Darrell Steinberg also expressed that the shooting was “an unspeakable tragedy.” “It happens too often, and tonight it happened in our backyard,” he wrote onTwitter. “First thoughts are with the victims and their families. Same to the first responders who have to confront such a horrible scene.”

source: people.com