MODESTO, Calif. — A Modesto father accused of killing his 8-year-old daughter has died a few days after an attempt to take his own life.
Modesto police swarmed Havenhurst Court Wednesday night after someone called 911 saying 50-year-old Donovan Halstead was making suicidal threats.
When police arrived, they saw Halstead through a window holding a gun.
“They reached out to him. He said he would come out unarmed, so they backed away and they heard a couple gunshots,” said Modesto Police Department spokesperson, Sharon Bear.
Police say that’s when he shot and killed his eight-year-old daughter and then tried to take his own life.
Court records show his wife filed for divorce in April and on Wednesday — the day of the shooting — they were in court.
Records show his wife accused him of domestic violence and he filed for a temporary restraining order.
“I guess this was one of his problems and he wanted to end it all,” said a neighbor who didn’t want to be identified.
Halstead posted on social media in Aug. 2022 saying he had struggled with clinical depression his entire life, but he also made numerous posts about being a father. The latest was from Father’s Day, where he also thanked his wife.
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