California Church Shooting: Dad Shoots, Kills His 3 Children Before Committing Suicide Inside Church

A father killed his three children and another person before he committed suicide inside a church in California on Monday, authorities said.

Fox News reported that the shooting incident happened at around 5 p.m. at a church in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood of Sacramento.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said David Fidel Mora-Rojas shot his three daughters, ages 9, 10 and 13, and their chaperone before he killed himself during a supervised visit.

Police noted that other congregants or church employees were also on the scene when the shooting took place. The Independent reported that officials did not disclose the fourth victim's identity.

Sgt. Rod Grassmann of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office told Associated Press that an employee of The Church In Sacramento called 911 after hearing the gunshots.

California Church Shooting: Victims Dead on the Scene

Officers from the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, and the California Highway Patrol were reportedly on the scene of the shooting. A SWAT team was also present.

Officers said the shooting was contained inside a church. However, details about how many were present in the church were not specified.

Authorities said those killed were pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators believe the incident was domestic violence-related. Grassmann noted that the type of gun used in the shooting was still not known at this time.

According to reports, the father was estranged from the children's mother, who had a restraining order against him. Police said they would send a chaplain to deliver the news once the mother was located.

According to its online calendar on its website, The Church In Sacramento has no listed events for Monday. Authorities still did not know if the family members belonged to the church.

Several officials commented after the shooting inside the church in California. In a tweet, California Governor Gavin Newsom called the incident a "senseless act of gun violence."

"Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and their communities," Newsom said, adding that they are working "closely" with local law enforcement.

Sacramento Councilman Eric Guerra called the incident a "mass casualty shooting event." Guerra warned the public to be on "alert while in the area as local law enforcement responds."

Another Murder-Suicide Incident in California

Late last month, a man and a woman were found dead inside a home located on the 400 block of East E Street in Benicia, California, Times Herald reported.

According to the Solano County Coroners Office and the Benicia Police Department, Thomas Hartnett, 55, shot Gina Downing, 54, and killed her instantly. Four minutes later, Hartnett shot himself in the head. The case remains under investigation.

This murder-suicide incident marked the first homicide for Benicia in more than a decade.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: 5 Dead After Shooting at Church in Arden-Arcade - From ABC 10