Police have arrested a suspect connected to a shooting in downtown Sacramento, California’s capital, which left six people dead on Sunday. Police said on Monday that Dandre Martin, 26, was charged with assault and illegal possession of a firearm. More people are believed to have opened fire in the crowded city centre near the Capitol.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Police said Wednesday they have made an arrest in a shooting that left six people dead in a Sacramento home but have not released any information about the suspect or a possible motive.
Investigators said at a news conference that they believe the shooting was “a targeted event” but declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Sacramento police spokesman Bryce Heinlein said the victims were all adults but would not release their names or ages. He said investigators do not believe there is any further danger to the public.
Officials have identified three men and three women who died in the largest mass shooting in the United States this year. Three victims were men: Sergio Harris, 38, DeVazia Turner, 29, and Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32.
Three women have also been shot: Jontaya Alexander, 21, Melinda Davis, 57, and Yamil Martinez-Andrade, 21. Police say all six victims died on the spot when several shooters opened fire just after 0200 (0900 GMT). ) on Sunday near the intersection of 10th Street and K Street. Another 12 people were injured in the shooting and taken to local hospitals. By Monday, seven had been discharged. According to the police chief, the violence was “unprecedented” for the city.
Police have carried out several searches since Monday. At least one pistol, now believed to have been stolen, has been found.
Sergio Harris’ family told local media his cheerful and friendly father went to a London nightclub late Saturday night and never returned. Mr Harris’ wife, Leticia Fields, said to the San Francisco Chronicle that a stranger told her over the phone that he had been shot. “It looks like many innocent people died tonight,” Ms Fields said to the Chronicle.
“I take it day after day. I haven’t told our 11-year-old yet.” Mr Harris went to a nightclub with his cousin DeVazia Turner, another of the victims, Mr Turner’s father, told local television station Fox40. “There really is nothing to say. I’m sorry, it’s all pain,” Elder Mr Turner said.
It was still unclear whether the fight led to the shooting, police said, and officials set up an online portal on Monday to ask the public to release information about the scene.
In a statement Sunday, President Joe Biden condemned “another” case of gun violence that has “changed families forever. The survivors stayed behind to heal both visible and invisible wounds.” According to the Archive of Gun Violence website, firearms are responsible for 40,000 deaths in the United States each year, including suicides.