ARDEN/ARCADE, CA (MPG) - At approximately 5:07 p.m. on Monday, February 28, 2022, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call from an employee of a church, located on the 2000 block of Wyda Way, stating a man with a gun was shooting inside the church.  The caller had been upstairs inside the church when he heard shots fired.  He then exited the sanctuary and called the Sheriff’s Office.  The first deputy arrived at the church at 5:09 p.m. with multiple units following.  Deputies did not hear the sounds of shooting when they arrived but treated the scene as an Active Shooter Situation and immediately entered the building and began searching rooms.

Deputies located two adults and three juveniles inside building.  Deputies triaged each subject, rendering aid before all five were pronounced deceased at the scene.  The victims were a 59-year-old male chaperone to the three female juveniles ages 9, 10 and 13.  The shooter, 39-year-old father of the children, then turned the firearm on himself.

70 personnel responded from the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office to the call as well as numerous regional law enforcement agencies.  The Sheriff’s Office is grateful to the community and our allied partners for their assistance.  Investigators were on scene throughout the night collecting physical evidence, canvassing for witnesses and surveillance video. 

The identity of the victims and shooter in this case will be released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

Detectives are asking anyone with information relating to this incident, to please contact the Sheriff’s Office at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP. Tip information may also be left anonymously at www.sacsheriff.com or by calling (916) 874-TIPS (8477).