Holly MatkinSacramento, CA – Six people were murdered and 12 more were wounded during a mass shooting incident in downtown Sacramento early Sunday morning.
At least four of the wounded victims suffered life-threatening injuries, KCRA reported.
The attack, which occurred in the area of K Street and 10th Street approximately 2 a.m. on April 3, has been described as the worst mass shooting in the history of Sacramento, The Sacramento Bee reported.
The incident occurred in a bustling area known for its nightlife.
According to Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester, investigators determined the gunfire erupted after a large fight, The Sacramento Bee reported.
“We have confirmed there were multiple shooters,” Chief Lester told reporters.
Three women and three men were murdered in the attack.
Investigators said the also recovered a stolen gun at the scene, The Sacramento Bee reported.
No one had been arrested in connection with the mass-casualty incident as of Sunday afternoon, Chief Lester confirmed.
The scene of the attack encompassed a four-by-two-block area, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Multiple videos captured portions of the shootings, to include at least one that appeared to show someone opening fire from a northbound vehicle speeding down 10th Street, according to the paper.
At least 76 gunshots could be heard in another video, KCRA reported.
Police say 6 people have died and 10 injured following Sacramento Mass Shooting. #sacramentoshooting #news #streetmediahype pic.twitter.com/uhbkbjfG7S
— Street Media Hype (@StreetMediaHype) April 3, 2022
“If anyone saw anything, has video or can provide any information to the police department, we are asking for their assistance,” Chief Lester said.
The Sacramento Police Department (SPD) posted a QR code on social media on Sunday urging people to use it to submit any video footage related to the incident.
We are aware of a social media video that appears to show an altercation that preceded the shooting. We encourage any community members with related video to follow the link/QR code below to submit the video to SPD. https://t.co/bQBuBtDM8m pic.twitter.com/pPdrHVkKuX
— Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) April 3, 2022
Investigators have also been scouring license plate readers and downtown security cameras for additional leads, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Multiple downtown buildings were struck by gunfire, according to KCRA.
Chief Lester said officers were out on patrol in the area when they heard the gunshots ring out.
They raced to the scene and encountered a large crowd out in the roadway.
“Officers began lifesaving measures to multiple victims on scene,” the Sacramento Police Department (SPD) said. “Despite these efforts, six victims were pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Witness Danni Chisick said she was asleep in her room on the fourth floor of the Citizen Hotel when the gunfire erupted, KCRA reported.
She said she looked outside and saw a woman running in front of the hotel.
“She kind of fell back and over, and her friends were kind of crowded around her and it looked like she was shot in the stomach area,” Chisick told KCRA. “And they started to put pressure on the wound.”
Kelsey Schar, who was also staying at the hotel, said she looked out and saw a man running and firing a gun as people fled for their lives, the Associated Press reported.
Schar said she recalled seeing muzzle flashes from the gun in the dark.
Mass shooting near the Capital building in Sacramento left 6 dead 15 injured. 4/2/22 pic.twitter.com/OxkyKaqyiZ
— H̶y̶e̶i̶n̶ 🇺🇸🇰🇷 ✝️🍊 (@BabeeHyeinK2021) April 3, 2022
Officers struggled to push bystanders away from the crime scene, and ultimately used their batons and bicycles to help keep the crowd away, according to KCRA.
Pop performers Aly & AJ said their bus was struck by gunfire while traveling through the area after their performance at Crest Theater, but that everyone inside the bus was unharmed.
Community Activist Berry Accius said he arrived in the area shortly after the shooting occurred.
“The first thing I saw was like victims. I saw a young girl with a whole bunch of blood in her body, a girl taking off glass from her, a young girl screaming saying, ‘They killed my sister.’ A mother running up, ‘Where’s my son, has my son been shot?’” Accius told KCRA.
Pamela Harris confirmed her son, 38-year-old father-of-three Sergio Harris, was among the victims who were murdered.
“My son was a very vivacious young man,” Pamela Harris told KCRA. “For this to happen is crazy. I don’t know what to do. I don’t even feel like this is real. I feel like this is a dream.”
Families identified two of the other deceased victims as 21-year-old Yamile Martinez-Andrade and DeVazia Turner, KCRA reported.
BREAKING:🚨 USA: Multiple people k!IIed and injured in mass shooting incident in downtown Sacramento, California; sound of automatic gunfire captured on amateur video pic.twitter.com/aHwco0UZG6
— OSINT Updates 🚨 (@OsintUpdates) April 3, 2022
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said the city was left with a “broken heart” in the wake of the attack.
“This is a senseless and unacceptable tragedy and I emphasize the word unacceptable,” Steinberg said. “Thoughts and prayers of course are appropriate for the victims and their families and the people who are fighting for their lives in the hospital. But thoughts and prayers are not nearly enough. We must do more, as a city, as a state and as a nation. This senseless epidemic of gun violence must be addressed.”
Sacramento City Council Member Katie Valenzuela said the “community deserves better” and that she planned to do everything in her power to bring an end to gun violence in the city, KCRA reported.
“I know this is a national epidemic. This is not unique to Sacramento, but we can stop it here,” Valenzuela said. “I believe that we have the tools to do this…Enough is enough. I will travel anywhere I need to travel and I will talk to whoever I need to talk to to get these guns off these streets and give our youth what we need so they can be successful and they don’t get shot down on K Street when they’re out trying to have a good time.”
Sacramento County Attorney Anne Marie Schubert praised police for their “extraordinary response” amid the chaotic scene, KCRA reported.
“If and when an arrest is made, we’re going to make sure that we hold those individuals fully accountable for these horrific crimes,” Schubert vowed.
Chief Lester said the mass shooting is “unprecedented” during her 27 years on the force, the Associated Press reported.
“We are shocked and heartbroken by this tragedy,” she said. “But we are also resolved as an agency to find those responsible and to secure justice for the victims and the families.”
