UPDATE: Sacramento Police Arrest Suspect in Mass Shooting That Killed 6, Wounded 12
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF/AP) -- Police in Sacramento late Monday morning confirmed the arrest of one at least two suspects being sought in the K Street mass shooting that left six people dead and 12 wounded.
Investigators identified 26-year-old Dandrae Martin as a related suspect in the shooting. He was arrested and booked for assault and illegal firearm possession charges.
SWAT teams and detectives served search warrants Monday at three area residences, recovering at least one handgun, police said.
Police thanked the Sacramento community "for the overwhelming assistance" provided in the investigation, saying that over 100 video and/or photo files were submitted to authorities through the community evidence portal.
The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office will be reviewing related evidence in the investigation to determine appropriate charges for the shooting suspects.
Police tweeted about the arrest at 11:45 a.m.
Earlier Monday, the Sacramento County Coroner's office identified the six victims who were killed in the shooting: De'vazia Turner, 29; Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21.
Sacramento police on Sunday said they were searching for at least two people who opened fire around 2 a.m. at the edge of the city's downtown entertainment district.
On Sunday morning, the usual crowds filled the streets as bars and nightclubs were closing in Sacramento when the sound of rapid-fire gunshots sent people running in terror.
The downtown area of Sacramento is anchored by the Golden One Arena that hosts concerts and the NBA's Sacramento Kings. The team's home game against the Golden State Warriors went on as scheduled Sunday night and began with a moment of silence for the victims.
Police Chief Kathy Lester revealed few details from the investigation and pleaded with the public to share videos and other evidence that could lead to the killers.
"The scale of violence that just happened in our city is unprecedented during my 27 years here," Lester told reporters during a news conference at police headquarters. "We are shocked and heartbroken by this tragedy. But we are also resolved as an agency to find those responsible and to secure justice for the victims and the families."
The gunfire erupted just after a fight broke out on a street lined with an upscale hotel, nightclubs and bars, but police said they did not know if the altercation was connected to the shooting. Video from witnesses posted on social media showed rapid gunfire for at least 45 seconds as people screamed and ran for cover.
The gunfire startled sleeping guests at the Citizen Hotel, which included a wedding party and fans of the rapper Tyler the Creator, who performed at a concert hours earlier.
From her window on the fourth floor of the hotel, 18-year-old Kelsey Schar said she saw a man running while firing a gun. She could see flashes from the weapon in the darkness as people ran for cover.
Schar's friend, Madalyn Woodward, said she saw a girl who appeared to have been shot in the arm lying on the ground. Security guards from a nearby nightclub rushed to help the girl with what looked like napkins to try to stanch the bleeding.
Police found a stolen handgun but they did not know if it had been used in the shooting. Of the 12 wounded, at least four had critical injuries, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.
"I have every confidence that Chief Lester and the hard working men and women of the police department are going to find who was responsible for this horrific and unacceptable murder," said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg during a Sunday afternoon press conference. "And they are going to arrest them and that we will bring them to justice, for that must be a big part of our community's response."
A police camera captured part of the shooting, Lester said, and investigators have located hundreds of pieces of evidence amid a scene that Lester described as "really complex and complicated" -- so much so that the bodies of the victims remained on the street hours later.
The crime scene stretched across multiple city blocks, with dozens of blue and yellow evidence markers dotting the pavement. At least four of the wounded battled life-threatening gunshot injuries in hospitals, officials said.
Lester said patrol officers heard the gunfire at about 2 a.m. and quickly responded to the scene within moments. When they arrived, they found a large crowd gathered on the street and six people dead.
"We are asking the public's help in helping us identify the suspects in this and any information you can to solve this," she said.
Lester called it "a very complex and complicated scene."
During the preliminary phases of the shooting investigation, police recovered at least one firearm at the scene.
9th Street to 13th Street remained closed between L Street and J Street downtown as the investigation into the deadly shooting continued.
Video posted on Twitter showed people running through the street as the sound of rapid gunfire could be heard in the background. Video also showed multiple ambulances had been sent to the scene.
Five of the injured were transported to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and other city officials decried escalating violence in the city while also urging people to keep coming downtown for events like NBA games and performances of the Broadway musical "Wicked."
"We can never accept it as normal and we never will," Steinberg said of the shooting. "But we also have to live our lives."
In a series of tweets Sunday morning, Mayor Steinberg reacted to the shooting.
"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. Rising gun violence is the scourge of our city, state and nation, and I support all actions to reduce it. Our new Police Chief, Kathy Lester, has made it a top priority, and I stand firmly behind her," Steinberg wrote.
During a press conference about the mass shooting late Sunday morning with other Sacramento city leaders, Steinberg railed against gun violence, calling it "a sickness in our country and a sickness in our culture."
Barry Accius, a community activist, said he came to the scene shortly after the shooting happened.
"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?'" he said.
"You know, commotion, trauma. It's just a lot of things that, you know, you don't want to see."
Kay Harris, 32, said she was asleep when one of her family members called to say they thought her brother had been killed. She said she thought he was at London, a nightclub at 1009 10th Street.
Harris said she has been to the club a few times and described it as a place for "the younger crowd."
Police have the streets around the club closed, with yellow police tape fluttering in the early morning breeze. Harris spent the morning circling the block waiting for news.
"Very much so a senseless violent act," she said.
President Joe Biden called for action on gun crimes in a statement Sunday.
"Today, America once again mourns for another community devastated by gun violence," Biden said. "But we must do more than mourn; we must act."
Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement regarding the shooting in the state capital:
"Sadly, we once again mourn the lives lost and for those injured in yet another horrendous act of gun violence. Jennifer and I send our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and to the wider community impacted by this terrible tragedy.
"As it is early in this investigation, my Administration will continue to work closely with local and state law enforcement as we monitor the situation.
"What we do know at this point is that another mass casualty shooting has occurred, leaving families with lost loved ones, multiple individuals injured and a community in grief. The scourge of gun violence continues to be a crisis in our country, and we must resolve to bring an end to this carnage."
Sacramento police encourage any witnesses with information regarding the investigation into the mass shooting to contact the SPD dispatch center at (916) 808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357). Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. Anonymous tips can also be submitted using the free "P3 Tips" smartphone app.
This is the second mass shooting in Sacramento in the space of just over a month. In late February, three young girls and their chaperone were shot dead by their father during a supervised visit at a Sacramento church before turning the gun on himself.
The shooting is the 12th mass shooting in California this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
There have not been any mass shootings in the Bay Area so far this year. The last of note to occur was the San Jose VTA rail yard attack in May of 2021 that left 10 people dead.
All told in 2021 there were 49 mass shootings in California, 15 of which were in the San Francisco Bay Area, with Oakland recording the most violence of any one city, with 46 people shot, five of them fatally.
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