Simi Valley Father Kills 2 Children, Self

A distraught father shot and killed his two small children late Father’s Day, then shot himself in a quiet residential area of Simi Valley, authorities said.

Lawrence L. Sasse, 31, was found dead Sunday next to his 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son in the living room of a home on the 3600 block of Delilah Street, according to Simi Valley Police Sgt. Bob Gardner.

“Our dispatch received a call from what we believe was Mr. Sasse’s roommate,” Gardner said.

“The lady on the phone told us that she thought her roommate had killed himself. When our sergeant arrived at the scene, he discovered the bodies of Mr. Sasse and his two children.”

Sasse used a handgun to shoot the children before apparently turning the weapon on himself, authorities said.

Gardner would not say what the handgun’s caliber was or how many shots had been fired.

Gardner said preliminary indications show that the incident may have been touched off by a custody dispute between Sasse and his wife.

The couple is separated, but the exact legal status of the marriage was not immediately known Sunday.