5 family members, including 3 children, dead in murder-suicide in San Diego, police say

SAN DIEGO – Five family members died and a child was severely wounded after a shooting Saturday morning at a residence in the Paradise Hills neighborhood of San Diego. 

Police believe a man shot his wife and children and then turned the gun on himself, Lt. Matt Dobbs said at a press conference Saturday.

There is no danger to the public and the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute involving one family, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said. Police are not currently releasing the family's name at the request of relatives, Nisleit said.

Three people were found dead in the residence: a 3-year-old boy, a 29-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man. Three other boys – ages 5, 9 and 11 – were transported to local hospitals, where two were pronounced dead.

The third child was in surgery as of Saturday afternoon, Dobbs said. The surviving child was initially believed to be 11 years old, but police and family have not yet confirmed identities of the children, Dobbs said.

Police say they believe the couple was going through a divorce and the mother had obtained a restraining order Friday, although it was unclear if the order had been served. The shooting happened at a residential compound containing extended family. 

Opinion:How to help a victim of domestic violence

The male was not currently living at the residence, Nisleit said.

Dobbs said officers responded to the scene after an early-morning report from a relative living next door of arguing and what sounded like a nail gun being fired inside the residence.

Police were already en route to the scene after receiving a 911 call where a dispatcher could hear arguing but did not have any communication with the caller, Dobbs said.

When officers arrived at the scene, they looked through a window and saw a small child covered in blood and proceeded to force entry into the residence, Dobbs said.

The region receives about 50 domestic violence calls a day, Nisleit said. He encouraged victims of domestic violence to seek help from authorities, including calling 911 in the case of an emergency.

How to get help

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 800-273-TALK (8255). The lifeline is answered by someone at a crisis center closest to your location. Other resources are available online at SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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