Sacramento mass shooting: what happened in California state capital to leave 6 dead, as police hunt suspects?

Six people have died and a further 12 were injured after at least two gunmen opened fire in Sacramento, California.

Police are currently searching for at least two suspects, after it was confirmed that three women and three men were killed in the shooting.

This is everything you need to know.

What happened?

At around 2am, a shooting took place in the centre of Sacramento, when at least two gunmen opened fire in the entertainment district on Sunday (3 April).

Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference that police were patrolling the area at about 2am as bars and nightclubs were closing when they heard gunfire.

Upon arriving at the scene, first responders found a large crowd gathered on the street and six people dead. A further 10 people either took themselves to hospitals or were transported there.

Lester said: “Officers began to give medical aid, including CPR, to the victims that they found and at the same time worked to stabilise the scene and learn what they could about the crime.”

The streets were lined with people as bars and nightclubs in the area began to close for the night, with videos from witnesses posted on social media showing rapid gunfire for at least 45 seconds as people screamed and ran for cover.

The gunfire broke out after a fight erupted on a street lined with nightclubs and bars, however police have said that they don’t know if the altercation was connected to the shooting.

What have witnesses said?

The gunfire woke 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.

Madalyn Woodard, 17, who was also staying at the same hotel, said she saw a crowd of people sprinting down the street.

She saw one girl who appeared to have been shot in the arm and lying on the ground. Security guards from the nightclub rushed to help her.

“These security guards from the nightclub I think it was where she was right by, they brought, like napkins. I could see the bloody napkins they were using,” Ms Woodard said.

Berry Accius, a community activist, said he had arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting.

“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.

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.

Ms Harris said she had been to the club a few times and described it as a place for “the younger crowd”.

The incident is the second mass shooting to have occurred in Sacramento in the last five weeks.

How many have died?

According to Lester, at least six people have been killed in the shooting, with a further 12 injured.

Pamela Harris, talking to Reuters at the scene of the shooting, said that her daughter had called her at 2:15am to tell her that her son, Sergio, 38, had been shot and killed outside a nightclub.

She said: “She said he was dead. I just collapsed. I cannot leave here now until I know what’s going on. I’m not going anywhere. It seems like a dream.”

Lester said that the coroner’s office is working to identify and notify the families of the victims.

What have the police said?

Talking to reporters, Lester said: “Investigators are working to identify those responsible for this horrific act. We know that a large fight took place just prior to the shootings. And we have confirmed that there are multiple shooters.”

She also added: “The scale of violence that just happened in our city is unprecedented during my 27 years here.

“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.”

Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that his administration was working closely with law enforcement.

He said: “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.”

On Twitter, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said: “Words can’t express my shock & sadness this morning. The numbers of dead and wounded are difficult to comprehend.

“Rising gun violence is the scourge of our city, state and nation, and I support all actions to reduce it.”

City council member Katie Valenzuela, who represents the district where the shooting took place, told reporters: “I’m heartbroken and I’m outraged.

“Our community deserves better than this.”

She pledged to do whatever she can so that young people “don’t get shot down on K Street when they’re out trying to have a good time”.

Has anyone been arrested?

Police are searching for at least two gunmen who opened fire in Sacramento, however there has been no official announcement regarding any arrests made in connection to the shooting.

Lester gave few details from the investigation and asked people to share videos and other evidence that could lead to the killers.

Police have located a stolen handgun, but it’s unclear at the moment whether it had been used in the shooting.

What has President Joe Biden said?

Following the tragedy, US President Joe Biden put out a call for action on gun crimes in a statement on Sunday.

He said: “Today, America once again mourns for another community devastated by gun violence. In a single act in Sacramento, six individuals were left dead and at least a dozen more injured. Families forever changed. Survivors left to heal wounds both visible and invisible.

“I want to thank the first responders in Sacramento, and all those across the United States, who act every day to save lives. We know these lives were not the only lives impacted by gun violence last night.

“And we equally mourn for those victims and families who do not make national headlines.”

Biden added: “We must do more than mourn; we must act.

“That is why my Administration has taken historic executive action to implement my comprehensive gun crime reduction strategy — from standing up gun trafficking strike forces to helping cities across the country expand community violence interventions and hire more police officers for community policing.”

He continued: “We also continue to call on Congress to act. Ban ghost guns. Require background checks for all gun sales. Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Repeal gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability.

“Pass my budget proposal, which would give cities more of the funding they need to fund the police and fund the crime prevention and intervention strategies that can make our cities safer.

“These are just a few of the steps Congress urgently needs to take to save lives.”