The tragic incident involving Rachel David and her seven children occurred on August 3, 1978, in Salt Lake City, Utah. This horrific event unfolded at the International Dunes Inn, where Rachel David, aged 38 at the time, led her children to the eleventh-floor balcony. The details of the incident are deeply unsettling: the youngest children were thrown over the balcony's edge, while some of the older ones either jumped willingly or were coerced to do so. Rachel David herself followed after her children, ultimately jumping to her own death.

This act of devastating proportions was linked to religious beliefs, specifically centered around Rachel's husband, Immanuel David, who had died by suicide just two days earlier. Immanuel David was considered by his followers, including his family, as a deity. The belief in his divinity and imminent return to Earth persisted among his followers, even after this tragic event.

The aftermath of this incident saw the survival of only one of Rachel David's children. This event also had wider implications, as it didn't lead to the dissolution of the cult led by Immanuel David. Reports indicate that about a dozen members of the Family of David continued to live in Spokane, Washington, and Aurora, Colorado, maintaining their beliefs and practices​​​​​​​​​​.