SAN DIEGO, CA — A decorated Navy warrant officer, his wife and their teenage daughter were found dead inside their San Carlos home early Wednesday morning after a neighbor entered the residence and discovered all three unresponsive, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Authorities identified the victims as David Voight, 56, a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, his wife Amy Voight, 54, a digital forensic examiner with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, who was an eighth grader at Pershing Middle School. Police recovered a gun inside the home, and preliminary evidence indicates all three died from gunshot wounds. Investigators said the incident appears to be isolated and that they are not looking for additional suspects. The case has drawn urgent attention because of family members’ accounts that David Voight had been dealing with rapidly worsening post-traumatic stress disorder in the days leading up to the deaths.
The San Diego Police Department’s Eastern Division received a 911 call shortly before 8:20 a.m. on Wednesday from a neighbor who reported finding a couple unresponsive at a home in the 6800 block of Boulder Lake Avenue, near Navajo Road. Officers responded, entered the home, and pronounced David and Amy Voight dead at the scene. While searching the residence, officers discovered the couple’s daughter also deceased. The neighbor who placed the call told police she had grown concerned after hearing what she believed were unusual sounds coming from the home on Tuesday night, around 9:30 p.m. She had attempted to contact the family but received no response. On Wednesday morning, after noticing the teenager had not left for school, the neighbor — who had access to the home because she regularly pet-sat for the family — entered the residence and made the discovery. SDPD Homicide Lt. Christopher Leahy said there was no sign of forced entry into the home. “It appears to be an isolated incident with no danger to the community at the moment,” Leahy said.
Police released the names of the husband and wife on Thursday. Authorities have not publicly named the 13-year-old daughter, consistent with standard practice for minors. Investigators recovered a firearm from inside the residence, though police have not publicly stated whose gun it was or provided further details about its origin. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting autopsies to formally determine the cause and manner of death for all three victims. Homicide detectives continued working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the shooting, and as of Thursday, police said the investigation remained active. The department’s homicide unit is asking anyone with information to call 619-531-2293, or to contact Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Officials have not announced any arrests or charges in connection with the deaths.
Amy Voight’s parents, Mary and Gerald Austin, described a family defined by public service and deep personal bonds. Gerald Austin told local media that David Voight had served as a Navy warrant officer for decades and was deployed to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan — service that the family believes left lasting psychological wounds. Amy Voight had worked as a digital forensic examiner for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and was described by her parents as “extremely bright” and a devoted mother. The Austins said their granddaughter was “Grandma’s girl.” In the days before the deaths, Gerald Austin said his daughter had tried to get help for her husband but was turned away because they did not have an appointment. Mary Austin told a local television station that David Voight’s symptoms had visibly intensified. “You could visibly see there was something really wrong,” Mary Austin said. “He was fidgety. You could tell.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs disputed the family’s account that Amy Voight was unable to get her husband an appointment for mental health care. Quinn Slaven, the VA press secretary, said the agency could not comment directly on the case due to privacy considerations but pushed back on the allegations. “What’s being alleged regarding VA services is not accurate,” Slaven said in a statement. “All VA healthcare facilities offer same-day mental healthcare to all veterans who need it,” Slaven added. The VA declined to provide additional details about any contact David Voight may have had with its facilities or staff. The dispute leaves a key question unresolved: whether the veteran sought and was denied crisis mental health services in the final days before the deaths, or whether care was available and not accessed. That question is likely to remain part of the broader public conversation about veteran mental health access as the investigation continues.
PTSD is widespread among veterans who served in combat. According to the VA, seven out of every 100 veterans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Among veterans who served specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan — as David Voight did — that rate climbs to 29%. The VA notes that deployment to combat zones significantly increases the risk of developing the disorder. The Voight family’s deaths come amid ongoing national debate over the accessibility and adequacy of mental health services for veterans. Neighbor Tyler Martin, who lives near the Boulder Lake Avenue home, said the news was devastating for the surrounding community. “It seems like it’s a husband, wife, and a 13-year-old daughter that goes to school with my daughter,” Martin said. Pershing Middle School Principal Kristy Aragon sent a letter to families Wednesday confirming that one of the school’s eighth graders had died due to “an event in their home.” Aragon wrote that district counselors would be available on campus throughout the week to support students and staff, and that resources would remain available for as long as needed.
As of Thursday, San Diego police had not publicly identified a suspect or filed charges in connection with the deaths. The medical examiner’s autopsies are expected to formally establish how each of the three family members died. Detectives from the SDPD homicide unit are continuing to gather and analyze evidence from the scene. The outcome of the autopsies and the ongoing investigation will be central to determining what exactly happened inside the Boulder Lake Avenue home on the night of Sept. 16, 2026, and whether additional legal steps will follow.
