Fontana Suicide: Rancho Cucamonga, CA – The Water of Life Community Church is mourning the loss of one of its parishioners, Robert Esteves, who passed away unexpectedly on the evening of Sunday, December 30, 2024. Esteves tragically died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the church building, located at 7625 East Avenue, just before 4:45 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fontana Police Department and San Bernardino County Fire paramedics promptly responded to the incident. No church services were underway at the time, and no other individuals were harmed. The church, which has long served as a cornerstone of the Rancho Cucamonga faith community, expressed its grief and issued a statement to Inland Wire:
“An incident took place at Water of Life Community Church early Sunday evening involving a self-inflicted shooting. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time.”
Church Member Robert Esteves Dies Tragically at Water of Life Community Church
Robert Esteves was a beloved member of the Water of Life Community Church, known for his active involvement in church activities and his strong faith. The tragic nature of his passing has deeply shaken the congregation and the surrounding community, leaving many grappling with questions and grief.
WOL Death: Pastor’s Statement
Water of Life Family, As many of you have asked me here is a note from pastor Shane. A dear friend of the Ranch as well. As some of you may already be aware, an unexpected tragedy took place on our Fontana campus today. Sadly, late this afternoon Robert Esteves accessed the worship center and took his own life. The level of tragedy around this is impossible to process right now. Many of you may know Robert as the guy who sits in the front row at the weekend services and often responds with enthusiasm during worship and the message.
As I write, this thank you to the elders, staff, and lay leaders that are gathered on campus contending and praying for heaven to come and heal this moment for Robert’s family, our 2 staff members that were present in the worship center, our church family and our surrounding community.
Support services are being made available to parishioners and anyone affected by this tragic event. Church leaders encourage those in need of emotional or spiritual assistance to seek help and remind members that they are not alone during this difficult time.
Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Upland, CA Obituary
More than 100 people take their own lives every day in the United States. However, when someone we know, love, and worship with week in and week out ends their life it takes a much deeper toll. No question it is considerably more shocking to have something like this take place inside our worship center, a place that we will all return to in the next few days, and a place where we just celebrated Christmas and the deep reality of light coming into the darkness. Like all of us, Robert had his struggles, and his life is a deep reminder of the incredible place we have been called to serve.
A call that in no small way leads us to care for people who are hurting deeply by allowing the light of the presence of the Spirit in us to serve, care for, and bring hope to those who often have very little. While none of us will ever fully know why, we do know that Robert loved Jesus and is with His savior. Robert was also deeply loved and cared for by many of you and your teams. You stopped, you prayed with him, and you cared for him. The temptation may be to think that you didn’t do enough or that someone else didn’t do enough.
The simple reality is that WOL lived out the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus to Robert in more ways than any of us will ever know. That is the great work of the Kingdom that Jesus said would live in and through us by the power of the Spirit. There are a few things that are important for us to share. First, some initial reports are circling social spaces that there was a shooting at WOL today.
Due to the nature of the incident, Fontana PD was required to treat the situation as such. However, please help thoughtfully communicate to anyone who has incomplete information that this was an isolated incident and there is no danger to anyone else. Second, please pray and for those of you who are already praying please continue to pray. Pray for our church family, many of whom will be in shock at the news and may experience their faith being challenged in different ways. Please pray for our co-workers who were present and pray for hope and light to thrive when we gather in less than 48 hours for our NYE service.
This is one of those days and moments that you can never really prepare for and like me, you never anticipated when you stepped into ministry. Over the years the surprise of moments like this fades but the deep reality of human brokenness will never fade nor will the call to serve, care, and walk people toward wholeness in Jesus. Thank you. You deeply care for people in more ways than any of us will ever know. Thank you for contending for the hearts and lives of people, some whom you may never know who are moved by your persistent commitment to the King and His Kingdom.
With a heavy but grateful heart, Shane.
For more information, Water of Life Community Church has directed inquiries to their pastoral care team, who remain committed to supporting their community with compassion and understanding. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is just a three-digit dial away. The nationwide 988 hotline will connect people to a network of crisis counselors, making it easier to get mental health support. 988lifeline.org.
Robert Esteves’s Obituary and Funeral Arrangements will be Released by the Family.
