All 6 victims killed in the Sacramento mass shooting are identified as police arrest a suspect
By Susannah Cullinane, Holly Yan, Stella Chan and Cheri Mossburg, CNN
Police on Monday said they have arrested one man who is a suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting in Sacramento that killed six people and wounded 12 others.
Dandrae Martin, 26, was identified as a “related suspect” and was booked on assault and illegal firearm possession charges, according to a release from Sacramento police.
CNN is seeking comment from legal representation for Martin. He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET).
During the initial investigation, detectives found more than 100 shell casings and discovered at least three buildings and three cars that had been hit by bullets.
“There were a lot of shots fired that night, and hence the complexity of the investigation,” police Chief Katherine Lester told CNN affiliate KCRA.
Lester said Sunday there were multiple shooters and a large fight occurred before the gunfire.
District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said in a statement that Martin has not been arrested for any homicide in the incident.
“The investigation is highly complex involving many witnesses, videos of numerous types and significant physical evidence,” Schubert said. “This is an ongoing investigation and we anticipate more arrests in this case.” The prosecutor would not comment on specifics.
Police served search warrants at three homes and at least one handgun was recovered. Authorities said they have received more than 100 video or photo files in a tip portal.
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office on Monday identified the six victims who died:
— Johntaya Alexander, 21
— Melinda Davis, 57
— Sergio Harris, 38
— Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32
— Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21
— Devazia Turner, 29
The tragedy has devastated the victims’ families, confounded the community and angered those who are frustrated by yet another mass shooting.
“My son was a very vivacious young man,” Harris’ mother Pamela Harris told CNN affiliate KOVR. She said her son smiled all the time and never bothered anyone.
“And for this to happen, it’s crazy,” she said. “And I’m just to the point right now (where) I don’t know what to do. I don’t even think this is real.”
State Attorney General Rob Bonta urged the public to come forward with any information about the shooting.
“Enough is enough. The sickening gun violence plaguing our communities must end,” he said.
“There have been about as many mass shootings in America as days so far in 2022. My office continues our work to get illegal guns off our streets, hold those responsible for gun violence accountable, and push for — and defend in court — commonsense gun laws. This work is urgent. We must act now.”
The incident was the second mass shooting in Sacramento in the past five weeks. On February 28, a man fatally shot three of his children and another man at a church. The gunman took his own life, authorities said.
A senseless mass tragedy
A large crowd had gathered near 10th and K streets when gunfire erupted around 2 a.m. Sunday, Lester said. But she said it’s not clear whether the crowd was connected to a particular venue or event.
A video posted on social media appears to show an altercation before the shooting, police said in a statement. “We are currently working to determine what, if any, relation these events have to the shooting,” the statement said.
Police said part of the incident was captured on a nearby camera.
Lester said a stolen handgun was among the hundreds of pieces of evidence found at the scene.
The mass shooting happened in a busy part of downtown, just a few blocks from the California State Capitol, Sacramento City Hall and the Golden 1 Center, where the Sacramento Kings played the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
“Obviously, it’s an incredible tragedy. I hope it doesn’t put a bold eye on our city because I think it’s a great place to be and a great place to live,” Sacramento Kings head coach Alvin Gentry said.
“It’s unfortunate that something like that can still happen nowadays in an environment where everybody is out having fun,” he said. “The gun thing has to change. The accessibility to guns in general, but to automatic weapons is my own personal opinion.”
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he thought it was appropriate for both teams to observe a moment of silence before the game.
“But I’ll be honest, it’s probably the ninth or tenth moment of silence that I will have experienced as coach of the Warriors, when we mourn the losses of people who have died in mass shootings,” Kerr said. “So I don’t think moments of silence are gonna do anything.”
‘Thoughts and prayers are not enough’
Mayor Darrell Steinberg said solutions — not well wishes — are needed to help change the trajectory of gun violence in America.
“Thoughts and prayers are not enough,” he said. “It is beyond time to have a sane conversation (about) guns in America. We have a sickness — it’s a sickness in our country, it’s a sickness in our culture.”
He said Sacramento will keep investing in programs focused on early intervention and violence prevention for young people.
“In our city, we will take stock and we will do everything we can — on the investment side, on the public safety side, on the gun side — to protect the public,” Steinberg said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement saying the “scourge of gun violence continues to be a crisis in our country, and we must resolve to bring an end to this carnage.”
And President Joe Biden said Sacramento is “another community devastated by gun violence” and called on Congress to act on gun control measures.
“In a single act in Sacramento, six individuals left dead and at least a dozen more injured,” Biden said in a statement. “Families forever changed. Survivors left to heal wounds both visible and invisible.”
Clarification: Police issued an updated news release clarifying the spelling of the suspect’s first name.
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CNN’s Chuck Johnston, Hannah Sarisohn and Nikki Carvajal contributed to this report.
