It’s one of those headlines that makes your stomach drop instantly. You see it and your brain almost refuses to process the words. In February 2022, a story broke out of Sacramento, California, that sounded like a literal nightmare. David Fidel Mora-Rojas—often referred to in initial reports simply as the dad that killed 3 daughters—walked into a church during a supervised visitation and opened fire.
He didn't just kill his children. He killed their chaperone, too. Then he turned the gun on himself.
Why? That’s the question everyone asks. People want to find a logical "why" for something that is fundamentally illogical. When we talk about "familicide" or "filicide," we’re looking into a very dark corner of human psychology that most of us can't even fathom. It’s a gut-wrenching reality. Honestly, it’s a failure of multiple systems all at once.
The Tragic Reality of the Mora-Rojas Case
Let's look at the facts of the Sacramento shooting because the details matter. They aren't just statistics. The girls were Samia, 13; Samantha, 10; and Samarah, 9. They were kids. They should have been at school or playing, not sitting in a church for a supervised visit because their father was considered too dangerous to be alone with them.
Mora-Rojas was under a restraining order. He had a history of domestic violence. In fact, he had been arrested just days before the shooting for biting a police officer and driving under the influence. Despite all these massive red flags, he still got his hands on an "unserialized" firearm—a ghost gun.
The church, The Church in Sacramento, was supposed to be a safe haven. It was a neutral ground. But a neutral ground only works if the person walking through the door respects the rules of engagement. Mora-Rojas didn't. He walked into that room during the 5:00 PM hour and changed everything for that community forever.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
Psychologists who study fathers who kill their children often point to a specific profile. It's rarely a "snap" decision. It’s usually the culmination of a long, simmering pot of entitlement, control, and domestic abuse. Dr. Neil Websdale, a prominent researcher in domestic violence fatality, often discusses the concept of "familial perfectionism" or "proprietariness."
Basically, some men view their wives and children as extensions of themselves. They aren't individual people with rights; they are property. When the mother tries to leave—which was happening in the Sacramento case—the "owner" feels like his world is collapsing. If he can't have them, no one can.
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It’s a toxic mix of:
- Intense social isolation.
- A history of depression or erratic behavior.
- Recent job loss or financial ruin.
- A high-stakes custody battle.
In the case of the dad that killed 3 daughters in California, the system knew he was a threat. He was out on bail. He had a restraining order. He was required to have supervised visits. But the "supervised" part usually falls on a single person—in this case, Nathaniel Kong, a 59-year-old church executive who also lost his life trying to help.
The Ghost Gun Loophole
We have to talk about the weapon. It’s a huge part of this specific story. Mora-Rojas was legally prohibited from owning a gun. Period. But he had a ghost gun. These are kits you buy online and assemble yourself. No serial numbers. No background checks.
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office confirmed this was how he bypassed the law. It highlights a massive gap in California’s otherwise strict gun laws. You can have all the restraining orders in the world, but if a person can 3D-print a lower receiver or buy a "buy-build-shoot" kit, the paper order is just paper.
It’s frustrating.
Actually, it’s more than frustrating—it’s infuriating for the families left behind. The mother of the three girls, who had moved out and was seeking a divorce, had done everything "right" according to the legal system. She told the courts he was unstable. She got the order. She insisted on supervision. And yet, the loophole in firearm manufacturing provided him the means to carry out the ultimate act of vengeance.
Comparing Global Cases of Filicide
This isn't just an American problem, though the access to firearms makes it more lethal here. If you look at the Chris Watts case in Colorado (2018), or the case of Rowan Baxter in Australia (2020), the patterns are eerily similar.
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Watts killed his pregnant wife and two daughters. Baxter ambushed his wife and three children in their car and set it on fire. In almost every one of these high-profile instances where a dad killed 3 daughters or his entire family, there is a "mask" of normalcy that slips right before the end.
Neighbors usually say the same thing: "He seemed like a nice guy." "He loved his kids." "They were the perfect family."
But behind closed doors? It's a different story. It’s about coercive control. It’s about a father who feels he is the center of the universe and cannot tolerate the "shame" of a family breakup. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, paternal filicide is often linked to "altruistic" motives in the father's twisted mind—he thinks he's "saving" them from a life of hardship—or, more commonly, it's "acutely psychotic" or "retaliatory."
Mora-Rojas falls squarely into the retaliatory category. He wanted to hurt the mother in the most permanent way possible.
The Warning Signs We Often Miss
If you're reading this, maybe you're worried about someone you know. Or maybe you're just trying to make sense of the senseless. Experts in domestic lethality assessments look for specific "high-danger" markers.
- Threats of suicide: If a father says, "I'm going to kill myself and take you all with me," believe him. Every time.
- Access to firearms: This is the single biggest predictor of a domestic situation turning fatal.
- Escalation: It starts with a push, then a slap, then "I'll kill you if you leave."
- Stalking: Following the mother to her new home or workplace.
- Pet abuse: This is a huge red flag that often gets overlooked.
In the Sacramento case, Mora-Rojas had already shown he was willing to use violence against authority (the police) just days prior. That should have been the breaking point where he was kept in custody, but the system of bail and release is complex and, sometimes, fatally flawed.
What Can Actually Be Done?
We can't just talk about the tragedy. We need to look at what changes might actually prevent the next dad that killed 3 daughters from making headlines.
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First, the enforcement of "Red Flag" laws needs to be more aggressive. In many states, these laws allow police to temporarily seize firearms from someone deemed a danger to themselves or others. But these laws only work if the police know about the guns. With ghost guns, that’s almost impossible.
Second, supervised visitation centers need more security. Many of these visits happen in churches or community centers that have zero security. They rely on the "honor system" or a single volunteer. That's not enough when dealing with a parent who has a documented history of domestic violence. Professional visitation centers with metal detectors and armed security are expensive, but what's the cost of three lives?
Third, we have to change how we talk about domestic abuse. It’s not a "private family matter." It’s a public health crisis.
Actionable Steps for Safety and Awareness
If you or someone you care about is in a situation involving a volatile partner or parent, waiting for the "right time" to leave is dangerous.
- Document Everything: Keep a log of threats, but keep it somewhere safe—like a cloud-based app the abuser can't access.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788. They have resources specifically for high-risk custody situations.
- Safety Planning: Don't just leave. Have a "go-bag" at a friend's house. Know where you are going.
- Legal Advocacy: Seek out pro-bono legal services that specialize in domestic violence. They often know how to navigate the system better than a general practice lawyer.
- Push for Ghost Gun Legislation: Support local and federal efforts to require serial numbers on all firearm components. It sounds political, but in the Sacramento case, it was the literal difference between life and death.
The story of the dad that killed 3 daughters in that Sacramento church isn't just a sad news blip. It's a reminder that domestic violence is a ticking clock. We have to take the threats seriously every single time. There is no such thing as "he's just blowing off steam" when kids are involved.
The girls—Samia, Samantha, and Samarah—deserved a future. They deserved to grow up, go to college, and have lives of their own. They were let down by a father who chose ego over love and a system that didn't close the gaps in time. The only way to honor them is to make sure we don't let the same gaps stay open for the next family.