MODESTO – A man shot and killed an eight year old girl before turning the gun on himself Wednesday evening, according to officials with the Modesto Police Department.
Shortly before 7:00pm, officers were dispatched to a home on the 3700 block of Havenhurst Court for a report of a suicidal person. Arriving officers saw the person through the window of the home armed with a gun. After officers attempted to communicate, the person told officers he was going to come out of the home unarmed.
Before the man exited, officers heard gunfire from inside the residence. Additional officers and deputies with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist. When police entered the home they found 50 year old Donovan Halstead suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Halstead’s eight year old daughter was also found shot in the home. Emergency responders tried to save her life, but she died from her injuries.
Halstead was taken to a hospital but was not expected to survive.
Officials with the Violent Crimes Unit responded to take over the investigation.
