The father who murdered his three daughters before turning the gun on himself inside of a California church was reportedly living at the Sacramento location as part of “some sort of arrangement,” CBS Sacramento reports.
Sacramento County sheriff’s Sgt. Rod Grassmann said the man, David Mora, 39, was having a supervised visit with his three daughters — Samantha Mora Gutierrez, 10; Samarah Mora Gutierrez, 9; Samia Mora Gutierrez, 13 — at the church at the time of the shootings on Monday. Mora also killed the man supervising the visit, Nathaniel Kong, 59, who was an executive at the church, police said.
The girls’ mother, who lived with the children at another location, had a restraining order against Mora for domestic violence and she described him in court documents as “jealous “and “mentally unstable,” according to the documents obtained by CBS Sacramento.
“He threatened to kill me if he ever caught me cheating… He has choked me in the past,” the filing said.
The woman also said Mora threatened to kill her, but told her he hadn’t because he wouldn’t know where to go with the children, according to court documents. The restraining order placed against Mora prevented him from having a gun or ammunition and was put in place for five years, beginning on May 19.
Mora was allowed supervised visits with his daughters for up to four hours a week and was required to attend anger management classes, the documents said.
Mora, whose friend said he was aggressive and battling mental health issues, was arrested days before the killings for driving under the influence and battery on a police officer, according to CBS Sacramento.
The Church, a non-denominational Christian church, issued a statement after the slayings.
“Our church body is devastated and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy and we ask for continued prayer for the victims, their family and our faith community as we grapple with this unexpected loss and trust the Lord for His strength in our grief,” the statement read.
The girls all attended schools in Natomas Unified School District, and chaplains are being provided for support.
“There are very few words that can give comfort right now for this unspeakable tragedy,” the school district said in a statement.