Officials say the 58-year-old caller warned of “booby traps” before four people were found dead inside a Mill Water Circle home.
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — Four people, including two children, were found shot to death inside a Rancho Cordova home Tuesday morning after a man called 911 to say he had fired a weapon and rigged the house with traps, authorities said.
Deputies with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office entered the residence hours later using a tactical vehicle and a drone, then found a man, a woman and two children dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators say the deaths are being handled as a murder-suicide with the male caller identified as the suspected shooter. Detectives cataloged a cache of firearms at the home and said there were no explosive devices inside, despite the warning relayed to dispatchers. The coroner identified the man as 58-year-old David Edward Vallerga Jr. The woman was identified as his 49-year-old wife, and the children were 13 and 11.
Deputies were first sent to the neighborhood just after 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when a neighbor reported gunfire near Copper Sunset Way and Mill Water Circle. Minutes later, a second call came from a man who claimed responsibility for the shots and said the house was booby-trapped. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies established a perimeter, evacuated nearby homes and used an armored “rook” vehicle to breach a fence and sliding door before sending in a drone to assess the interior. “A response to something of this magnitude is always extremely difficult,” sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Edward Igoe said, noting the scene was secured before a team entered.
Inside, deputies found Vallerga deceased with a handgun near his right hand and recovered a second pistol beneath him, officials said. The woman and the two children were found in other areas of the home, each with gunshot wounds. Investigators collected multiple shell casings from at least two calibers. Detectives seized 16 firearms from the property, including handguns and long guns, some registered to Vallerga, who had prior military experience, according to authorities. The sheriff’s bomb squad and technicians searched the residence and yard but reported no traps or explosive materials. Deputies said they were not seeking additional suspects and there had been no recent calls for domestic violence at the address.
Public records show the house sits on the 5400 block of Mill Water Circle, a cul-de-sac lined with two-story homes about a mile south of Anatolia. Neighbors told deputies and reporters that the family had lived there for years and the children were often seen playing outside. Some said the parents operated tutoring or education businesses from their home. “For the most part, it’s quiet here,” said neighbor Cameron Daughtery, who described hearing an initial pop and several more. Others arrived later with flowers, pausing behind crime-scene tape as detectives moved in and out of the garage and front door.
Detectives spent much of Tuesday and Wednesday documenting the interior, processing rooms for ballistic evidence and tracing recovered firearms. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office released the names of the adults and confirmed the ages of the two children. Officials said the shooter’s 911 statements, firearm placement and the ballistic pattern are consistent with a murder-suicide, but they have not released a possible motive. The sheriff’s office said there were no credible threats to the surrounding neighborhood and patrols would remain elevated while the investigation continues.
Authorities said they are reviewing the 911 audio, neighborhood camera footage and digital records and will forward their findings to the district attorney. A final coroner report, including toxicology, is expected in the coming weeks. The sheriff’s office plans to release additional updates after completing interviews with relatives, neighbors and colleagues who interacted with the family in recent days. City officials said counseling resources have been offered to nearby schools and first responders who worked the scene.
By Wednesday evening, the yellow tape was down but a small memorial of candles and flowers had formed along the curb. The home’s blinds remained drawn. “As an agency, and as people, our thoughts are with friends and families of those involved,” Sgt. Igoe said. The next update from investigators is expected after key lab analyses and a full evidence inventory are completed.
Author note: Last updated January 29, 2026.