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A body found inside the burned home of a man accused of opening fire on a California family -- killing two and wounding three -- was wearing bullet-resistant body armor and holding a handgun, CNN reported.

Autopsy results are pending, but police in Inglewood, California, said Sunday that the body may be that of suspect Desmond John Moses. It was found one day earlier.

Police believe Moses set the home, a rental, on fire early Saturday before allegedly making his way to the front of the property -- to the home of Filimon Lamas, 33.

There, hidden behind a painter's mask, Moses opened fire on the family: Lamas, his 28-year-old wife, Gloria Jiminez, and their four children, police said.

Lamas threw his body over the kids to shield them from the bullets.

He died.

His 4-year-old son was shot in the head.

Although the children's mother was maimed by gunshot wounds to both legs, she mustered the strength to run from the house carrying the boy. But he, too, later died.

"The heroic effort by both parents to protect the children was astounding considering that Mr. Lamas died shielding three children and Jiminez has gunshot wounds to both legs, yet was able to run from the house," a police statement said.

A 6-year-old son, shot in the pelvis, and a 7-year-old daughter, wounded in the chest, were both in critical but stable condition.

The mother also was in critical but stable condition after the shooting.

The only one to escape unhurt was Lamas' oldest child, an 8-year-old boy.

Police did not release names of any of the children.

"What would motivate an individual to do this is inexplicable," Inglewood Police Chief Mark Fronterotta said.