The Sacramento dad who shot and killed his wife and two kids in a horrific murder suicide Tuesday gave no indication on social media that he was capable of such bloodshed.
Photos on the Facebook page of David Vallerga show a tight‑knit family and a doting father whose kids appeared to adore him. He is seen taking them to the playground, teaching them to ride bicycles, and going on routine Costco runs.
His slain daughter Sydney is seen in one post dressed in pink boots and a “Put a Bow on It” top, sitting inside a large shopping cart.
“Costco runs are sooo difficult for Sydney,” Vallerga gushed.
He also documented numerous bonding moments with his son, Colton — who he killed in Tuesday’s horror — including taking him to work and having a boys’ night out shopping for dinner alone with the teenager.
The apparently doting dad at one point shared a photo of daughter Sydney with the family’s pet lizard, adding, “We may need to saddle him up soon so Sydney can go for a ride.”
The family killer also posted about warm moments with his wife Lindsay, who also died in the attack.
“How to make a wife happy,” he wrote of an image of an omelette he apparently cooked for her.
The dad, who had a military background, is also chillingly seen posing with a toy gun alongside his daughter, writing, “Sydney learning trigger control from Daddy…”
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The sweet, fatherly image the military vet presented on social media was belied by his gruesome slaying, in which he shot and killed Lindsay and the two kids in their Rancho Cordova home. He then called cops and told them the home was booby trapped, before turning the weapon on himself, police said.
One neighbor saw some hints of anger in Vallerga. He told the Post of hearing the dad yelling at his family — including the children.
“I’m going to f*** you up,” Vallerga once screamed at his wife, the neighbor said.
Vallerga and his wife worked in a brick-and-mortar business with the tutoring franchise GradePower Learning.
Emily Autenrieth, who owns A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove near PowerGrade, described Lindsay Vallerga, as “a wonderful neighbor.”
“The kids were always so sweet. Lindsay’s son was really into manga recently. Lindsey was a wonderful supporter of our business and mission,” she said.
