Three children and their mother were killed by their father Saturday morning in Paradise Hills in an apparent murder-suicide. Video / NBC7
Five people, including three children, have died after a suspected murder-suicide in San Diego.
Police made the grisly discovery on Saturday (US time) after responding to reports from neighbours of screaming and shooting in the Paradise Hills neighbourhood of San Diego.
Police arrived at the scene and knocked on the door but received no response, reports News.com.au.
When they looked through a window they saw a child covered in blood.
They broke through that window and found five people suffering from gunshot wounds.
A 31-year-old male, 29-year-old female and three-year-old boy were pronounced dead at the scene.
Ezekiel, 9, is in a critical condition in hospital, police said. Photo / Facebook
Three other boys aged between five and 11 were transported to hospital for treatment where two other boys died.
Family members identified the dead as José Valdivia, 31, and Sabrina Rosario, 29, along with their sons Enzie, 3; Zuriel, 5 and Zeth, 11, according to NBC7.
A fourth child, 9-year-old Ezekiel, was in a critical condition in hospital after emergency surgery.
Ms Rosario, got a restraining order against the father on Friday.
Sabrina's sister Jocelyn said the parents were high school sweethearts, but she had filed for a divorce that had not been finalised.
Police made the horrifying discovery after looking into the window of the home. Photo / AP
She said José had been stalking Sabrina, and had sent her photographs of a gun.
San Diego's homicide unit's Lieutenant Matt Dobbs said it was unclear whether the order had been served, but the father was aware of the order.
The father was not living at the home at the time of the attack.
"We believe the male came over this morning, there was some kind of disagreement and he used a handgun and shot his family before turning the gun upon himself," Lt Dobbs said.
Police officers carried the children out so they could receive medical aid.
San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit extended his condolences to everyone affected by the tragedy.
"As a husband and a father it is very difficult to even think about," he said.
"This was a domestic dispute involving one family."
"These are the toughest calls we can respond to," Chief Nisleit said.
"This greatly impacts our officers, some of whom carried the children to the ambulance and have, themselves, just had children.
"We know throughout this county, throughout this city, that there's domestic violence victims every single day."
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