Amy Voight’s parents say she sought help for her veteran husband a day before the family died, while the VA disputes their account.
SAN DIEGO — The parents of Amy Voight say their daughter sought help from the Department of Veterans Affairs for her husband’s worsening mental health symptoms one day before she, her husband and their 13-year-old daughter were found shot to death inside their San Carlos home.
Mary and Jerry Austin said David Voight, 56, had struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and appeared to be doing worse shortly before the deaths. They said they urged their daughter, Amy Voight, 54, to seek professional help for him. The family’s account has added a new focus to a case in which police have not determined publicly who fired the shots or announced a motive.
The Austins told FOX 5/KUSI that Amy went with David to a VA facility Sept. 15, which was also her birthday. According to Jerry Austin, Amy asked whether her husband could receive help for symptoms that included anxiety, depression and frustration. The Austins said she was told that counselors were busy and that an appointment would need to be made.
The Department of Veterans Affairs disputed that characterization while saying federal privacy rules prevented it from discussing David Voight’s individual care. VA Press Secretary Quinn Slaven said allegations about the agency’s services were not accurate and said VA health facilities offer same-day mental health services to veterans who request them.
VA information available to the public says same-day mental health services can take several forms depending on a veteran’s needs and the urgency of the situation. Those services can include an in-person meeting, telehealth care, telephone triage, secure messaging, scheduling follow-up treatment or filling a prescription. The agency’s general policy does not establish what occurred during the Voights’ reported visit, and the competing accounts have not been independently resolved.
The following morning, Sept. 16, a neighbor called 911 after entering the Voights’ home in the 6800 block of Boulder Lake Avenue and finding David and Amy unresponsive. San Diego police arrived at about 8:18 a.m., pronounced the couple dead and found their 13-year-old daughter dead while searching the residence.
Police said preliminary evidence indicated all three died from gunshot wounds and that a gun was recovered from the home. Investigators found no evidence of forced entry and described the incident as isolated, with no known ongoing danger to the community. Detectives have not publicly said who fired the weapon or officially described the deaths as a murder-suicide.
The Austins said David Voight had served in the U.S. Navy for about 30 years, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. They described him as a highly decorated warrant officer whose work included explosive ordnance disposal. Other local reporting citing Navy records said his military career included numerous deployments, awards and decorations.
The relatives said David’s behavior had become noticeably different before the deaths. Mary Austin said he appeared restless and that the family was concerned enough to encourage Amy to seek help. Their statements describe what relatives observed, but they do not establish what caused the shootings, and police have not linked a mental health condition to the deaths.
Post-traumatic stress disorder itself does not establish that a person is violent, and investigators have not said David Voight killed anyone. The family’s account of his symptoms and the reported VA visit is one part of the chronology detectives and relatives are trying to understand as authorities continue their investigation.
Amy’s parents described their daughter as an accomplished digital forensics analyst who had worked for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and as a devoted mother. Their daughter, identified by relatives and public memorials as Mya, was an eighth grader at Pershing Middle School. School officials informed families of the student’s death and offered support to those affected by the loss.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to determine the cause and manner of the three deaths. Until those findings and additional police evidence are released, questions about who fired the shots, the sequence of events and whether the family’s reported attempt to obtain care had any connection to what happened remain unresolved.
Author note: Last updated September 18, 2026.