Friend Of Family In Arden Church Shooting Speaks Out, Describes Troubles of Gunman
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A long-time friend of the family torn apart by a deadly Sacramento church shooting is speaking out about the tragedy.
Oscar Maldonado says he knew the family very well, including the little girls. He even lived with them for six months in Mexico several years ago.
Maldonado described the gunman, David Mora, as a hard-working, aggressive man, who was battling drug abuse and was mentally ill.
"He was very emotional, like really emotional," Maldonado said.
A photo of Mora from just a week ago has been released by the Merced County Sheriff's Office. He spent a night in jail after being arrested for punching an officer during a traffic stop.
A restraining order filed by his children's mother had prevented Mora from seeing his children without supervision. Court documents described him as mentally unstable.
Maldonado is grieving for the children's mother.
"And for her to be going through something like this, it's like, it's really heartbreaking to me," Maldonado said.
Mora had been living at the church where he shot and killed his children and a pastor during a supervised visit.
Maldonado believes, in his friend's mind, it made sense.
"He loved his daughters, but I think that love was too much that he didn't want to share that love," Maldonado said. "In his head, it makes sense. In ours, it doesn't make sense because we wouldn't even think of that, but that was his thought process I think."
Maldonado says that he last saw Mora two years ago. He says he has no idea where he got the gun used in the attack.