A father shot dead his three daughters at a church before turning the gun on himself.
The girls were aged nine, 10 and 13 when they were shot at the a church in Sacramento, California - along with their chaperone.
Their father then turned the gun on himself before officers were called to the harrowing scene on Monday afternoon.
The shooter, aged 39, was understood to be estranged from the girls' mother, who had a restraining order against him, police said.
It's believed the shooting occurred during a supervised visit with the children and a fourth victim, their chaperone.
The chaperone's identity has also not yet been disclosed, but the girls' mother is alive and is in contact with authorities, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Sheriff's Office spokesperson said it wasn't clear why the family was at the church, but said other people were in the building at the time of the shooting
An employee at The Church In Sacramento called 911 after hearing the gunshots, reports abc7.
Sgt. Rod Grassman said: "My understanding is it was in the main sanctuary part of it, like in a conference room of some sort.
"I don’t have any reports of bullets leaving the property."
A witness told CBS13 he saw police bring one victim out of the church, adding there was heavy police traffic which initially saw ambulances struggling to get through to the scene.
Sheriff's officials are investigating it as a domestic violence incident, he said.
The Church In Sacramento caters to English, Chinese and Spanish worshippers, according to its website.
Governor Gavin Newsom said his office was working with local law enforcement.
He wrote on Twitter : "Another senseless act of gun violence in America - this time in our backyard.
"In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities. We are working closely with local law enforcement.”
