Three girls shot and killed by father inside church were students at Natomas Unified in Sacramento

The three girls killed by their father Monday night in an apparent domestic violence incident at a Sacramento-area church were students at the Natomas Unified School District, which issued a statement Tuesday offering counseling and support.

The girls were identified by the Coroner’s Office as Samia, 13; Samantha, whose 11th birthday would have been Wednesday; and Samarah, 9. They and a fourth person were gunned down by their father inside The Church in Sacramento on Wyda Way in Arden Arcade.

The district said it learned late Monday that the girls were students at Bannon Creek Elementary and Leroy Greene Academy charter school. Officials said in a statement to parents and staff that counselors and chaplains from the Sacramento Police Department were on hand Tuesday to offer support.

“There are very few words that can give comfort right now for this unspeakable tragedy,” the district said. “There will be a range of emotions from our students and staff, particularly at the schools where the students attended.

“We will have our Social-Emotional Support Team and Chaplains from the Sacramento Police Department available at those two schools this morning to provide grief counseling and support. This support extends to anyone in the district who may need it. We are aware of some family members in other parts of our community, but we know there will be others in Natomas whose lives were touched by this sadness.”

Sacramento County officials confirmed David Mora, who is also identified in documents as David Fidel Mora-Rojas, as the gunman. The other adult killed was identified as 59-year-old Nathaniel Kong, an employee of the church who apparently was supervising the court-ordered visit with the children.

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said Monday night that the shooting occurred inside the church about 5 p.m. during a supervised visit between the 39-year-old father and the girls. The shooter — who killed himself after shooting his daughters and the meeting’s chaperone — was the subject of a temporary restraining order and should not have had access to a weapon.

This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 9:53 AM.