Police have arrested a suspect in the mass shooting that left six dead and multiple others injured. The community is still healing from the devastating event which led to many questions about guns in America. Experts are now discussing whether this could be an inflection point for gun control reform across the nation.,
A man has been apprehended in connection with a mass shooting in Sacramento that left six people dead and another 12 injured early Sunday morning.
Dandre Martin, 26, was arrested in connection with the shooting on Monday, according to Sacramento police. He’s been labeled as a “related suspect.” He was charged with assault and unlawful possession of a handgun. His involvement in the incident remained unknown.
Meanwhile, the six victims murdered in the mass shooting have been named by investigators. After least two gunmen opened fire in a throng as bar goers flocked to the streets on the fringes of the city’s entertainment center at closing time, police said.
The three ladies deceased were named as Johntaya Alexander, 21, Melinda Davis, 57, and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21 by the Sacramento County coroner on Monday. Sergio Harris, 38, Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32, and Devazia Turner, 29, were the three male victims. On Sunday, one of the fatalities was named.
People fled in fright after hearing rapid-fire gunshots about 2 a.m. Twelve individuals were injured in the area around the Golden One Arena, which stages concerts and is home to the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. The team’s home game against the Golden State Warriors went on as planned Sunday night, with a minute of silence held in honor of the deaths.
Victims’ relatives gather near the murder site in downtown Sacramento on April 3, 2022, where six people were shot and killed and ten more were wounded. (Photo credit: Getty Images)
Few specifics about the inquiry were provided by Police Chief Kathy Lester, who called with the public to submit recordings and other evidence that may lead to the murderers.
During a press conference at police headquarters, Lester informed reporters, “The magnitude of violence that just transpired in our city is unparalleled in my 27 years here.” “This tragedy has stunned and saddened our hearts. However, as an organization, we are committed to finding those guilty and ensuring justice for the victims and their families.”
Small tributes with candles, balloons, and flowers were left around the murder site on Monday morning. A note was written on one of the balloons, which read in part: “We will always remember you in our hearts and minds. Nothing is ever going to be the same again.”
The streets were reopened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and the police tape was removed. Aside from a few TV cameras, there was little evidence of the previous day’s carnage on the downtown block.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and other municipal leaders denounced the city’s growing violence while pushing residents to continue to visit downtown for events such as NBA games and Broadway musical “Wicked.”
“We can’t and won’t accept it as usual,” Steinberg said of the shooting. “However, we must also live our lives.”
The shooting occurred shortly after a brawl broke out on a boulevard dotted with fancy hotels, nightclubs, and restaurants, and police said they were looking into whether the brawl was related to the shooting. Witness video released on social media showed at least 45 seconds of rapid shooting as people shouted and rushed for safety.
The shooting woke up people at the Citizen Hotel, including a wedding party and fans of Tyler the Creator, who had just played at a concert a few hours before.
Kelsey Schar, 18, claimed she witnessed a guy fleeing while discharging a pistol from her hotel room window on the fourth level. As everyone raced for shelter, she could see flashes from the weapon in the darkness.
Madalyn Woodward, Schar’s friend, claimed she observed a girl laying on the ground who seemed to have been shot in the arm. Security guards from a neighboring nightclub raced over to assist the girl, attempting to stop the bleeding using what seemed to be napkins.
A stolen firearm was discovered, and police were investigating if it was used in the crime. Three males and three women were among the deceased. Authorities were still attempting to inform family members as of late Sunday, and had only officially named one fatality, Sergio Harris, 38, without specifying a cause of death. According to the Sacramento Fire Department, at least four of the 12 injured suffered serious injuries.
According to a database produced by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University, at least six people have been murdered in a mass shooting in the United States this year. It was also Sacramento’s second mass shooting in the previous five weeks.
In a statement released on Sunday, President Joe Biden urged for action on gun violence.
“Today, America mourns the loss of yet another neighborhood to gun violence,” Biden remarked. “However, we must do more than lament; we must take action.”
During a weekly supervised visitation on Feb. 28, a man murdered his three kids, a chaperone, and himself in a Sacramento church. Despite a restraining order prohibiting him from owning a firearm, David Mora, 39, was equipped with a handcrafted semiautomatic rifle-style weapon.
The site of the crime Sunday spanned two city blocks, effectively shutting down a big portion of the city’s center. Bodies lay on the sidewalk all day as detectives worked to examine a “very intricate and convoluted scene,” according to Lester, to ensure they acquired all the evidence they could to “see the perpetrators of this atrocity brought to justice.”
During her 15 months in office, Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the neighborhood, has received far too many phone calls about violence in her district. She sobbed as she told reporters at a press conference that the last phone call woke her up at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“I’m hurt and enraged,” she expressed her feelings. “This isn’t good enough for our neighborhood.”
