Police in California are searching for suspects in connection with a mass shooting in downtown Sacramento that killed six people and wounded at least 12 others.
Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference that police were patrolling the area at about 2 AM (10:00 GMT) on Sunday when they heard gunfire.
When they arrived at the scene, they found a large crowd gathered on the street and six people dead. Another 10 either took themselves or were transported to hospitals. No information was given on their conditions.
On Sunday, Lester said there had been “multiple shooters” and a “stolen handgun” had been recovered at the scene.
This is “a very complex and complicated scene”, she said. Lester issued a plea to the public, asking for witnesses or anyone with recordings of the incident to contact the police.
She said the violence was preceded by a large scuffle in the area.
ADVISORY: 9th St to 13th St is closed between L St & J St as officers investigate a shooting with multiple victims. Conditions unknown at this time. Please avoid the area as a large police presence will remain and the scene remains active. Please follow this thread for updates. pic.twitter.com/lGhUJCnLWe
— Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) April 3, 2022
Late Sunday night, US President Joe Biden addressed the bloodshed.
“America once again mourns for another community devastated by gun violence,” he said.
“We must do more than mourn; we must act,” said Biden, who reiterated his call for Congress to pass long-stalled legislation to strengthen restrictions on guns.
Yet another mass casualty shooting – leaving families with lost loved ones, people injured, and a community in grief.
We are working closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation.
We cannot continue to let gun violence be the new normal. https://t.co/W2GIPnQJwM
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 3, 2022
The mass casualty shooting is the latest in the US where firearms are involved in approximately 40,000 deaths a year, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive website.
California Governor Gavin Newsom described gun violence as a “crisis” for the United States.
“We cannot continue to let gun violence be the new normal,” he said in a post on Twitter.
Shortly after the shooting early Sunday, a video was posted on Twitter that showed people running through the street amid the sound of rapid gunfire. The video showed multiple ambulances at the scene.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said on Twitter: “Words can’t express my shock & sadness this morning. The numbers of dead and wounded are difficult to comprehend. We await more information about exactly what transpired in this tragic incident.”
Residents were asked to avoid the area, which is packed with restaurants and bars, including the London Nightclub, and is close to the Golden 1 Center, where the Sacramento Kings play basketball.
The incident comes a little more than a month after a man shot and killed his three children and a fourth person before taking his own life in the same city.
