A San Diego family of three was found dead inside a home on Boulder Lake Avenue in San Carlos on September 16, in what police are investigating as an apparent double murder-suicide. David Voight, described by relatives as a decorated war veteran and retired U.S. Navy bomb-disposal expert, is suspected of shooting his wife, Amy Voight, and their 13-year-old daughter, Mya, before killing himself.
The family’s account has raised questions about access to VA mental-health care, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Relatives said Amy Voight drove her husband to a local VA facility seeking emergency mental-health treatment before the killings. Gerald Austin, a relative, told the newspaper VA staff said nobody was available and that people were busy.
VA Disputes the Family's Account
The VA has declined to discuss the Voight case in detail, citing confidentiality rules, the Union-Tribune reported. A VA official identified in the report as Quinn Slaven disputed the family’s account of the services offered and said all VA healthcare facilities offer same-day emergency mental-health care to veterans who need it. Slaven also said average VA mental-health wait times are lower under the second Trump administration than under Joe Biden; the newspaper said it did not independently verify that claim.
San Diego police are investigating the shootings, the Union-Tribune reported. The newspaper’s account did not provide further details about the investigation.
Wait Times Across San Diego County
VA data cited by the Union-Tribune show that new patients seeking individual mental-health care in San Diego County have waited between 25 and 76 days, while established patients have waited between 9 and 18 days. The newspaper reported waits of 12 days for individual counseling at the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center in La Jolla and 18 days at the Chula Vista clinic. Established patients could get appointments in 9 days at the Kearny Mesa and Oceanside clinics, and in 10 days at the Rio Center in Mission Valley and the Escondido clinic.
Nationally, new VA patients waited nearly 16 days on average, down from 20 days in fiscal 2023 and 19 days in fiscal 2024, the Union-Tribune reported. The newspaper also noted that some VA specialty mental-health services can involve waits of months or longer. VA operates the country’s largest integrated healthcare system, treats more than 9 million enrolled veterans and completed 15.5 million mental-health appointments last fiscal year, according to the report.
What VA guidance and oversight show
The VA’s Access to Care FAQ says same-day services may be an option for veterans who need to see a provider before their next scheduled appointment. That general guidance does not establish what happened during the Voight family’s reported visit. The VA also cautions that published average wait times describe general performance and may not reflect an individual veteran’s experience.
A separate early-2022 incident at the San Diego VA—not the Voight case—was reviewed by the VA Office of Inspector General. A patient who refused emergency-department services died about six hours after leaving. The OIG found a care-coordination failure and inconsistencies between policy and practice, while concluding staff appropriately respected the patient’s later refusal.
Staffing Cuts and a Disputed Study
The Union-Tribune cited a March ProPublica report that said veterans were losing mental-health access amid Trump administration staffing policies, including attrition, early retirements and a hiring freeze. The administration planned to cut as many as 30,000 VA jobs, the report said. As of January, VA reportedly had about 500 fewer psychologists and psychiatrists than a year earlier; a VA spokesperson told the newspaper that frontline healthcare workers were exempt from staffing reductions.
A Vet Voice Foundation study released in April found that 90% of 21 tracked VA centers reported severe doctor shortages, the Union-Tribune reported. The study found individual mental-health treatment waits rose from 27 to 27.4 days and group-therapy waits from 17.2 to 29 days. VA called the study deeply flawed and biased, according to the newspaper.
Other Veterans Describe Long Delays
The Union-Tribune also described other veterans’ access concerns, including a former combat veteran who said he waited 14 months for an in-person mental-health counselor appointment and was later prescribed multiple drugs after an online interview lasting less than 15 minutes. The newspaper cited Tom Moore, a 51-year-old combat veteran from Vista with a permanent 100% disability and commander of San Diego American Legion District 22, in its broader reporting on access to care.
The Union-Tribune reported that community groups also help veterans navigate gaps in care. It cited the San Diego Veterans Coalition and Onward Up, which works with veterans at risk of falling through the social safety net. The Headstrong Project provides confidential outpatient mental-health care for veterans and transitioning service members; the newspaper reported that it offers the first 30 sessions free, served 374 veterans in California last year with more than 7,000 sessions, and averaged 12 days from intake to first appointment.
Crisis Resources Remain Available
Veterans and anyone in crisis can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 and pressing 1, according to the VA's Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness. The line can also be reached by texting 838255, and support is free and confidential. Urgent mental health patients may also visit any emergency room for assistance, the Union-Tribune reported.
