Killer of his 3 daughters and their chaperone lived in church where it happened, police say
The man police say shot his three daughters and their chaperone to death before turning the gun on himself in a Sacramento church Monday evening was living at the church, CBS Sacramento reports.
Sacramento County sheriff's Sgt. Rod Grassmann told the station David Mora, 39, was residing there as part of "some sort of arrangement." The three girls and their mother lived elsewhere.
Grassmann called the killings "unfathomable."
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Samantha Mora Gutierrez, 10; Samarah Mora Gutierrez, 9; Samia Mora Gutierrez, 13; and Nathaniel Kong, 59.
Kong was supervising Mora's visit with his daughters at The Church in Sacramento, a nondenominational Christian place of worship, officials said.
The girls' mother – Mora's estranged girlfriend -- had sought a domestic violence restraining order against him out of fear for their safety, court documents indicate.
She'd been with him for about 15 years but sought the restraining order last April, describing him in court documents as jealous and mentally unstable.
"He threatened to kill me if he ever caught me cheating. ... He has choked me in the past," the filing said.
Mora "said that he has not killed me because he would not know where to go with the children," said the woman, whose name was being withheld because she was abused.
The woman also said he was hospitalized for a week in April after "expressing a desire to commit suicide."
Mora, who also was identified as David Fidel Mora Rojas in court papers, was taken into custody for a mental health evaluation last April 17, and nine days later a temporary restraining order was granted. It banned him from possessing a gun or ammunition, and investigators were trying to discover how he obtained the weapon.
A five-year restraining order was imposed May 19. It stipulated that Mora only have supervised visits with his daughters for up to four hours per week with a mutually agreed-upon chaperone. He also was required to take anger management courses.
Authorities identified Kong as the chaperone for Monday's visitation. Business records show Kong had been an executive in the church. Court records show he served Mora with the May restraining order.
Just a few days before the killings, Mora was arrested in Merced County, south of Sacramento. He was taken into custody on charges of resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and driving under the influence after he assaulted a California Highway Patrol officer.
"He was drunk and while they were arresting him - or trying to - he decided he wanted to fight and ended up with felony charges because he assaulted a CHP officer, causing injuries," Deputy Daryl Allen, a spokesman for the Merced County Sheriff's Office, told The Sacramento Bee.
A long-time friend of the family, Oscar Maldonado, told CBS Sacramento Mora was a hard-working, aggressive man who was battling drug abuse and was mentally ill.
"He was very emotional, like really emotional," Maldonado said.
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 observed. "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."
A statement issued by The Church in Sacramento said, "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 girls attended schools in the Natomas Unified School District in northwestern Sacramento. Counselors and chaplains were at the schools Tuesday to provide support.
"There are very few words that can give comfort right now for this unspeakable tragedy," the school district said in a statement.
On Tuesday morning, a small memorial with flowers, balloons, stuffed animals, a candle and a piece of paper that read "Prayers for peace, may your souls rest" was set up outside the church.
Dozens of community members and friends gathered Tuesday night at the church to remember three girls, CBS Sacramento says.
"We don't always know why things happen, but the girls were just really, really sweet girls," said Brittney, who didn't want her last name used.
Brittney works at Bannon Creek Elementary, where Samantha and Samarah Mora went to school.
"I just can't imagine the pain the mom is feeling because our staff and community is feeling it," Brittney said, adding that her daughter, Aubrey, filmed videos dancing with Samantha last Friday.
"She was always trusting, and if you felt something, you could talk to her," Aubrey said. "I didn't think someone would hurt them, especially their father."
