6 suspects sought after shooting inside Sacramento State residence hall

Law enforcement officials are searching for six people after shots were fired inside a Sacramento State residence hall Sunday night. Three of the suspects are believed to be armed, according to campus police.

No one was hurt in the shooting, which happened inside Klamath Hall near the intersection of J Street and University Drive.

Students said they were just feet away when the gunfire erupted. Julian Hernandez was standing near the door of his dorm room when the shots were fired.

"So it's just shocking that someone was able to get in and then just pop off a few rounds and run out the emergency exit," Hernandez said.

Another student, Anaya Pak, said she was frightened by what happened.

"I was scared. I didn't even know what to do. I was in shock," Pak said.

Students said they stayed inside their rooms behind locked doors as the situation unfolded. Crime scene tape and bullet casings were later seen in the hallway.

One bullet lodged in the wall of a resident assistant's room next door to Hernandez's.

"After a few minutes, I was like, 'Oh, OK. So that could've gone through my wall and hit me,' " Hernandez said.

Campus police sent an email to students more than four hours after the initial report of gunfire. The message arrived in students' inboxes shortly after 3 a.m., confirming that shots had been fired inside Klamath Hall and that no one was injured.

The email also included lengthy descriptions of six suspects.

Ava Leijten, a student who lives in the residence hall, said the possibility that one or more suspects could have had access to the building was unsettling.

"Still very eerie to think about the fact that there was a potential that one or more of them could've lived in our building and still has access to it," Leijten said.

Berry Accius, a Sacramento activist who runs the youth nonprofit Voice of the Youth, said he sees a disconnect between the university and the surrounding community.

"Young people get bold when no one is checking them. So if you're not checking the problem, then they're going to think, 'Well, we could go to Sac State, and we could cause a disruption, or do whatever,' " Accius said.

The shooting comes nearly two months after another high-profile shooting on campus, this one inside a parking structure during a Sacramento State football game in September.

Accius said he was not surprised another shooting had happened, but questioned the university's response.

"This, to me, is not surprising that it is happening. What's surprising is the lack of urgency, and how they're not addressing it in the way they should," he said.

The university said it has increased police patrols, suspended guest privileges and brought in additional law enforcement support overnight.

Students also raised questions about how the suspects were able to enter the residence hall.

One student said guests typically must show identification and be signed in by a resident, but the process is not always followed.

CBS News Sacramento reached out to the university about those concerns and other questions raised by students. The university has not responded to those additional questions and concerns.

Although the bullet hole may be patched, students said the fear left behind will be harder to erase.

"I'm still a little bit nervous, just like, what if this happens again?" Hernandez said.