At least two shooters opened fire before dawn Sunday in Sacramento in the city’s second mass shooting in five weeks.
killing six people and wounding 12 others as bars closed for the night and crowds emptied onto downtown streets
Three men and three women were killed in the violence. Their bodies remained on the pavement hours after the gunfire erupted, creating a massive crime scene .
The shooters were still at large more than 14 hours later and at least four of their victims battled life-threatening bullet wounds in nearby hospitals.
As investigators poured through hundreds of pieces of evidence — much of it documented on the streets with blue and yellow markers
“We’re asking for the public’s help in helping us to identify the suspects in this,” Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said.
police camera captured part of the melee, while video footage posted to social media showed what appeared to be an altercation before the gunfire broke out in the city
Detectives were trying to determine the sequence of events before the shooting. Sgt. Zach Eaton, a police spokesperson, said they “don’t know if that fight actually lead to the shooting.”
Kelsey Schar was staying on the fourth floor of Citizen Hotel when she said she heard gunshots and saw flashes in the dark.
She walked to the window and “saw a guy running and just shooting,” Schar told The Associated Press.
Her friend, Madalyn Woodard, said she saw a crowd in the street scatter amid the gunfire and a girl who appeared to have been shot in the arm laying on the ground.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that his administration was working closely with law enforcement officials.
“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.