Horrifying Three children - aged nine, 10 and 13 shot dead by their father in church

A man is believed to have shot his three children – girls aged nine, 10 and 13 – and a fourth person before killing himself at a church in California.

Other congregants or church employees were on the scene in the  Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento.

Police identified the shooter as David Fidel Mora-Rojas who was on a supervised visit with his children at the time.

Officials have not disclosed the identity of the fifth victim, believed to have been supervising the visit.

The mother of the girls had a restraining order against the father according to a Sacramento County sheriff’s office spokesman, who added people with restraining orders against them are not legally allowed to have a firearm.

“This was the site of a supervised visit [where] the suspect in this case ended up killing himself. He had a restraining order out against him from his estranged wife, the mother of the three children,” he said.

Earlier, the police said a chaplain had been sent to notify the mother of the killing.

Police said they are considering a “domestic violence” incident. A SWAT team was also called in on Monday.

They were called when a church employee heard shooting in the main sanctuary of the building.

 “They heard a shot, and then more shots,” the sheriff’s spokesperson said.

 Authorities were on the scene, near Arden Fair mall, through the night.

 Police have not identified what type of weapon was used in the shooting.

 There was no apparent threat to the public and the violence was “contained” inside the church.