According to media reports, a man shot at least four people and then killed himself in a church in Sacramento, California on Monday. Among the fatalities were three children, all younger than 15 years, among other things, the broadcaster CNN reported. The shooter is said to be the father of the children. The crime happened on Monday (local time).
The newspaper “Los Angeles Times”, citing Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, wrote that, according to initial findings, the crime occurred during a supervised meeting between the father and the children in the church. The fifth fatality is said to be an adult supervisor, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office was quoted as saying. It was initially unclear what relationship she had to the church or family.
The children’s mother is alive and in contact with the authorities, as the “Los Angeles Times” further quoted Jones. According to media reports, the parents lived separately.
According to the information, other people were in the church at the time of the crime. How many was initially unclear. There was initially no information about injuries. It was also initially unclear whether a service was being held at the time of the shooting. A church worker heard the shots and called the police, they said.
“Another senseless act of gun violence in America,” California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted. “In a church where there were children. Absolutely devastating,” he continued, expressing his condolences to the victims and their families.