Police say that a San Diego man killed his wife and three of their four sons before taking his own life in a tragic murder-suicide on Saturday.
And after all was said and done, a 9-year-old boy is the only surviving member of his family. And he’s still fighting for his life.
Investigators are still gathering the details about what led to such a horrific event, but initial reports suggested that the man shot his wife and all four sons before turning the gun on himself early on Saturday morning.
NBC San Diego identified the deceased parents as Jose Valdivia, 31, and Sabrina Rosario, 29.
Family members confirmed that their children, Enzie Valdivia, 3; Zuriel Valdivia, 5; and Zeth Valdivia, 11, were killed during the tragic event.
But investigators say that 9-year-old Ezequiel Valdivia is holding on – still fighting to pull through after undergoing multiple surgeries for his injuries.
According to statements from police, Jose Valdivia did not live at the home with the mother and children. Sabrina Rosario had reportedly recently filed for divorce and had made a request for a restraining order against her husband.
“We believe the male came over this morning, there was some kind of argument or disagreement and he used a handgun and shot his family before turning the gun upon himself,” San Diego Police Lt. Matt Dobbs said at a press briefing on Saturday.
According to relatives, Valdivia was upset about the divorce and was trying to get Rosario to stay with him. They say that the two had been together since high school.
“It is still unclear if the restraining order had been legally served, but we do believe the male was aware of it,” Dobbs said.
Police say that a 911 call was made to the department just before 7 a.m. on Saturday, but dispatchers could not hear anyone on the line, but did overhear what sounded like an argument going on in the background.
Mother killed in San Diego murder-suicide endured months of harassment and threats, court records show https://t.co/WQdOgwZ0aZ
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 19, 2019
Then a second call came in from a concerned relative who reportedly lived next door. When police responded, they saw a child bleeding inside the home. Thinking quickly, officers broke the window and made entry into the residence and discovered the grisly scene.
Responding officers discovered a total of six gunshot victims inside. Reports said that the parents and youngest son were pronounced dead at the scene, and the other boys were rushed to the hospital, where two perished.
A father is suspected of shooting his estranged wife and 4 children before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide at a home in Paradise Hills, San Diego, police said. All have died except for one child, who was in critical condition and in surgery. https://t.co/xSYlM2UfYe
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 16, 2019
Now the surviving 9-year-old is fighting for his life.
A GoFundMe was setup by family members to help with the boy’s recovery. Nearly $50,000 has already been pledged.
“We thank you all for your continued support. We can feel the love and are still patiently waiting for our prayers to be answered,” the campaign notes read.
The organizer of the fundraiser said that Rosario was an incredible mother to her children.
“She was always loving, always caring, always happy,” he said.
He said that he had missed a call from her just minutes before the fatal shooting, evidently leaving a message on her voicemail.
“You could very clearly understand she was terrified,” Albright told Fox 5 San Diego. “The last thing she had said was, ‘Is that your gun?’”
A similar tragedy occurred in Texas earlier this month.
When the department received a call that family members had not heard from 39-year old Ashley Auzenne and were concerned, officer responded to the suburban home outside of Houston.
Inside, they found an absolute tragedy.
Ashley Auzenne’s body was located… along with the bodies of her children, 11-year old Parrish, 9-year old Eleanor and 7-year old Lincoln. All four were deceased from gunshot wounds, according to ABC13’s Miya Shay. Shay reports that the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the deaths as murder/suicide.
According to the Daily Mail’s Jennifer Smith and Lauren Fruen, the parents of the children had just gotten divorced the prior week.
Murvin Auzenne, father of the children and ex-husband to Ashley, said, “She and I had our issues, we argued and fought just like any other couple headed for divorce, but I never had any reason to believe she was capable of this. Nobody did.”
He went on to say that she had been upset about the terms of the divorce, which would require her to seek employment to pay rent to remain in the house, according to Smith and Fruen.
The children’s grandfather, Murvin Auzenne Sr., mourned the loss of his family.
“They were kids you wanted to have around, they really were,” he said. “They played well, they talked to the adults. They’re amazing children in all kinds of fantastic ways.”
Ashley Auzenne had reportedly shared on her social media that she was battling depression, anxiety and had been diagnosed with lupus. Ashley reported online that her mother had recently passed away, as well. However, Auzenne shared more than just her personal struggles on social media. She frequently shared her political views.
“Trump says on camera it’s in the works,” one post read. “To bypass the Constitution and change it with an Executive Order that he hands out like tic tacs. Remember, being silent, being safe and cozy because it doesn’t ‘affect you’ is a luxury.”
She also wrote about mass shootings, according to Heavy’s Jessica McBride.
“There is a gun inside the house was used in this incident… a handgun,” reported Lt. Chris Brown of the Deer Park Police Department.
The discovery of the firearm in the Auzenne home is particularly surprising due to Ashley Auzenne’s vocal anti-gun violence position. Ashley Auzenne had also been very outspoken on social media as an anti-gun violence activist, imploring others online to #EndGunViolence in the signature orange of the anti-gun campaigns.
But now Moms Demand Action’s social media pages, as well as state level affiliate sites, have been busy furiously removing comments acknowledging that Auzenne was an anti-gun supporter. All comments mentioning Auzenne’s anti-gun sentiments had been removed from multiple Moms Demand Action pages as of the writing of this article.
Additionally, commenters are stating that they have also now been blocked from viewing further content on the pages.
One such Facebook user confided in Law Enforcement Today, sharing a screen shot of his comment to Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America that read, “She was one of yours, a MDA member and anti-gun advocate. Her gun didn’t kill those kids, she did. Hypocrites.”
He said to LET, “I posted that last night. It’s gone now.”
