Sacramento mass shooting: At least 75 shots fired, 18 people hit, 6 dead, many questions
Videos have emerged of the mass shooting in downtown Sacramento on Sunday morning that underscore the chaos of the situation.
One shows a large group of people fighting on the street, followed by rapid gunfire. Another captures multiple volleys of gunfire, including what sounds like a possible automatic weapon, before people on the street run for their lives.
More than a day after the shooting, many questions remain unanswered. Police arrested on suspect on Monday. A motive is not clear.
Officials said at least 75 shots were fired.
What led up to the shooting?
A video emerged showing a group of people fighting before shots rang out. Sacramento police said they believed a fight might have sparked the gunfire but were unclear about what prompted the conflict.
“At this point we don’t know this information,” police spokesman Zachary Eaton said. “Our investigators are still working through what actually led up to the fight. We understand there are some social media video out there depicting a fight. We don’t know if that fight actually led to the shooting. We are still working through all those details right now.”
The stolen gun used in the Sacramento mass shooting was converted into a fully automatic weapon for maximum firepower, police say.
“There is a video out in the community that appears to depict rapid fire,” he said. “But we are still working through the investigator report, so I can’t confirm that right now.”
What about the shooting itself?
Police were searching for what they said were multiple shooters but did not say how many. One suspect, Dandre Martin, 26, was booked on assault and possession of an illegal firearm charges, authorities said, adding that they’ve executed several search warrants and recovered a handgun.
Authorities suspect that an unidentified person drove through the scene and opened fire on a crowd of people before fleeing, according to a law enforcement source. The official spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity to discuss the case candidly.
At least one other person fired a gun, although it was not yet clear whether that person was also in the car or in the crowd firing back. It was not even certain whether that was the only crime scene, as a victim was also transported from another location a block away.
Relatives gathered near a bar where the gunfire is believed to have erupted, hugging each other, looking for information and coming to terms with losses.
At least one handgun — later discovered to be stolen — was recovered. The rapid gunfire heard on videos suggested that, in addition to a semiautomatic gun, an automatic weapon may have been used. But a police spokesman, citing the ongoing investigation, would not comment on what is known about the weapon.
Three men and three women were killed in the street. Many more people were taken away in ambulances, while at least two people dragged themselves to hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds.
Asked whether any victims were targeted specifically, Eaton said: “At this point, we don’t know the answers to that question, unfortunately. That is something we are going to be looking into. Motive is obviously always a key part of the investigations, so we will definitely be looking at that aspect.”
When the shooting ended, six people were dead and 10 had been wounded in the heart of downtown Sacramento’s entertainment district.
Regarding the handgun that was found, “I don’t have any details of what kind of handgun it was,” Eaton said. “It was found within the scene that we have roped off downtown… I don’t know exactly where it was found, but I know it was found within that scene.”
What do we know about the victims?
The dead include three men and three women. The youngest victims, Johntaya Alexander and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, were both 21 years old. The oldest victim, Melinda Davis, was 57, according to the Sacramento County coroner.
Also identified were Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; Devazia Turner, 29; and Sergio Harris, 38, who was previously identified by family members.
Seven of the 12 injured victims being treated at hospitals were reported to have been released.
Fred Harris Jr., 41, described his younger brother, Sergio, as “well rounded and well liked.”
“Everybody pretty much knew him and loved him for being who he was,” he said. “Everybody who knew Serg just knew he was all about a good time.”
Sacramento police say the shooting occurred around 2 a.m. in a busy entertainment district that was filled with people.
He said Sergio was a father to three children, two girls and a boy.
Harris said that everyone was “pretty distraught” and that his phone had been going off all day.
“Everybody’s going to remember Sergio, he was just a good guy, well liked in the community. He did everything for everybody.”
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