When the sound of rapid-fire gunshots sent people fleeing in horror, the streets of Sacramento, California’s capital city, were crowded with the typical crowds as bars and nightclubs closed for the night. Six people were killed and 12 were injured in the latest mass shooting in the United States in a matter of seconds.
At least two people opened fire at 2 a.m. Sunday on the fringes of Sacramento’s downtown entertainment district, which is highlighted by the Golden One Arena, which hosts concerts and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. The team’s home game against the Golden State Warriors went on as planned Sunday night, with a moment of silence held in honor of the deaths.
Few specifics about the inquiry were provided by Police Chief Kathy Lester, who called the public to share videos and other evidence that could lead to the killers.
During a press conference at police headquarters, Lester informed reporters, “The scale of violence that just happened in our city is unprecedented in my 27 years here.” “This tragedy has stunned and saddened our hearts. However, as an organization, we are committed to finding those guilty and ensuring justice for the victims and their families.”
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and other municipal leaders denounced the city’s growing violence while pushing residents to continue to visit downtown for events such as NBA games and the Broadway musical “Wicked.”
“We can’t and won’t accept it as usual,” Steinberg said of the shooting. “However, we must also live our lives.”
The shooting occurred shortly after a brawl broke out on a street dotted with fancy hotels, nightclubs, and bars, but police said they had no idea if the brawl was related to the shooting. Witness video released on social media showed at least 45 seconds of rapid gunfire as people shouted and rushed for safety.
The gunfire woke up people at the Citizen Hotel, including a wedding party and fans of Tyler the Creator, who had just played at a concert a few hours before.
Kelsey Schar, 18, said she witnessed a man running while discharging a gun from her hotel room window on the fourth level. As people raced for shelter, she could see flashes from the weapon in the darkness.
Madalyn Woodward, Schar’s friend, said she observed a girl lying on the ground who appeared to have been shot in the arm. Security guards from a nearby nightclub raced over to assist the girl, attempting to stop the bleeding using what appeared to be napkins.
Police discovered a stolen firearm, although it was unclear whether it was used in the shooting. Three males and three women were among the dead. Authorities were still working to notify family members as of late Sunday and had only officially identified one fatality, Sergio Harris, 38, without providing a cause of death. According to the Sacramento Fire Department, at least four of the 12 injured suffered critical injuries.
According to a database produced by reporters, at least six people have been killed in a mass shooting in the United States this year. It was also Sacramento’s second mass shooting in the last five weeks.
In a statement released on Sunday, President Joe Biden urged action on gun violence.
“Today, America mourns the loss of yet another neighborhood to gun violence,” Biden remarked. “However, we must do more than lament; we must take action.”
During a weekly supervised visitation on Feb. 28, a man killed his three daughters, a chaperone, and himself in a Sacramento church. Despite a restraining order prohibiting him from possessing a firearm, David Mora, 39, was armed with a homemade semiautomatic rifle-style weapon.
The scene of the crime Sunday spanned two city blocks, effectively shutting down a big portion of the city’s downtown. Bodies remained on the pavement throughout the day, as investigators worked to process a “very intricate and complicated scene” to ensure they acquired all the evidence they could in order to “see the perpetrators of this atrocity brought to justice,” according to Lester.
During her 15 months in office, Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the neighborhood, has received far too many phone calls about violence in her district. She cried as she told reporters at a press conference that the last phone call woke her up at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“I’m heartbroken and enraged,” she expressed her feelings. “This isn’t good enough for our neighborhood.”
