On Monday a California man fatally shot his own children and another adult before turning the gun on himself, killing five people in the process.
The incident took place at The Church of Sacramento, where police reported that around 5 p.m., a gunman shot and killed a group of people, which included three children under the age of 15.
At around 5:07 p.m., a church worker heard gunshots and called the police.
NBC News reported that the gunman used an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle in the tragic attack.
“We have found now there’s an adult male, a father who has shot and killed his three children under the age of 15,” said Sgt. Rod Grassmann with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
“This was not a random shooting,” Grassman said; they “all knew each other.”
According to Grassman, the shooter had a restraining order filed against him. “This is, as far as I can see, at this point, a domestic violence-related sort of incident,” he said.
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed the violence and mourned the deaths of the children.
“Another senseless act of gun violence in America – this time in our backyard,” Newsom tweeted. “In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and their communities.”
