Multiple shooters opened fire early Sunday outside bars and nightclubs in Sacramento shooting downtown, killing six people and injuring 12, according to authorities.
As of Sunday afternoon, Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester had no suspects in custody. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, investigators were reviewing videos from the scene as well as information provided by members of the community.
“This is very, very preliminary,” Lester said. “We are asking for the public’s help in helping us identify any suspects.”
Officers responding to reports of gunfire around 2 a.m. found a large crowd and at least 16 injured people. Lester said that the officers called for help and gave aid to the injured. Police say that 12 people who had been shot were taken to or walked into local hospitals.
When KCRA 3 put out its pre-shooting report, it showed people fighting on the street just moments before dozens of shots were fired.
Hundreds of pieces of evidence, including a stolen handgun, have been uncovered by investigators, Lester said at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
Angry family members waited for hours for information about loved ones who may have been killed or injured in the shooting. Although the identities of the six victims, three of whom were women and three of whom were men, have yet to be released, local media outlets began sharing the names and photos of the victims by Sunday afternoon.
I just spoke with Frank Turner outside the scene of the mass shooting in #Sacramento. He shared with me his son, 29-year-old DeVazia Turner is one of the 6 shot and killed in this shooting. He lived in Vacaville but is from Sacramento @ABC10 pic.twitter.com/OVtTUHSWIq
— Madison Wade (@madisoncwade) April 3, 2022
This is Sergio. He is one of the 6 victims in the mass shooting in Downtown #Sacramento. He was a father and married. His family gave me this picture as they are gathered outside the scene. @ABC10 #massshooting pic.twitter.com/h1hIGs6pE9
— Madison Wade (@madisoncwade) April 3, 2022
At a press conference Sunday, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said that action must be taken to prevent a tragedy on such a scale.
We must do more, as a city, as a state, and as a nation. This senseless epidemic of gun violence must be addressed. How many unending tragedies does it take before we begin to cure the sickness in this country?
In the United States, the American Public Health Association has declared a public health crisis due to gun violence. As many as 38,000 Americans die prematurely each year as a result of smoking. At least 10,794 people have been killed by guns so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive’s data as of April 3.