At least 16 people were shot, six fatally, early Sunday in downtown Sacramento, California, and police said no suspects were in custody.
The Sacramento Police Department said several streets in downtown Sacramento just blocks from the state Capitol building and the Golden 1 Center where the Kings NBA team plays were closed as officers responded to the gun violence. The conditions of the victims were not immediately known, police said.
The shooting broke out about 2 a.m. near the corner of 10th and K Street in a popular nightlife area, Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference.
Lester said police officers were in the area and heard the gunshot.
“We had a large crowd in the area. We don’t know if it was part of a club or an event,” Lester said.
She said officers immediately responded and began providing medical aid to victims.
Lester said six people were fatally shot and another 10 were wounded and taken to hospitals.
Lester asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspect or suspects involved in the shooting, saying no one was in custody.
Community activist Berry Accius of Voice of the Youth said he arrived at the scene at about 2:30 a.m. after a city council member called him about the shooting.
“It was just horrific,” Accius told ABC affiliate station KXTV in Sacramento. “Just as soon as I walked up you saw a chaotic scene, police all over the place, victims with blood all over their bodies, folks screaming, folks crying, people going, ‘Where is my brother?’ Mothers crying and trying to identify who their child was.”
Video posted on Twitter showed people running through the street as the apparent sound of rapid gunfire could be heard in the background.
“Please avoid the area as a large police presence will remain and the scene remains active,” police officials said in a statement.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg posted a message on Twitter, saying: “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.”
In a second tweet, Steinberg added: “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.”
