Police look for shooters who killed 6 in California

Los Angeles, US, Apr 3 (EFE).- Sacramento police said they were looking for the perpetrators of a mass shooting that left six dead and 12 injured in California’s capital city during the early hours of Sunday.

The authorities had made no arrests hours after the latest mass shooting in the United States, even as investigators were trying to identify the suspects in video footage captured by security cameras.

Police said in a statement that the gunfire erupted about 2 am in the Sacramento downtown area, at the corner of 9th and K Streets, an entertainment district crowded with late-night party goers and bar-hoppers at that hour.

The shooting erupted after a fight broke out between groups of people.

Investigators said an unidentified person drove to the scene, got out of a vehicle, and repeatedly fired at the crowd.

Police have recovered a stolen gun from the spot.

Police said they identified another suspect carrying a firearm.

But it was not known if the person was also in the car or was one among the crowd.

“This is a really complex and complicated scene,” Sacramento Police Chief Katherine Lester said told reporters on Sunday.

“And there is a process and what we want to do is make sure that this investigation is completed thoroughly and accurately, because we do want to see the perpetrators of this crime brought to justice.”

Lester said three men and three women were killed in the shooting.

She said police have taken no suspects into custody and do not know how many people were involved in the mass shooting.

Authorities do not know if the victims were deliberately selected – as part of a reprisal between gangs, for instance – or whether they were indiscriminately gunned down.

“This is very, very preliminary. We are asking for the public’s help in helping us identify any suspects,” Lester said.

Videos posted online by social media users show people running down the street as the gunshot sound rages in the background.

Various people in the area reported hearing between 30 and 50 rapid-fire gunshots.

The area where the shootout occurred is near the Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento, the arena where the NBA’s Sacramento Kings play their games.

It is a recreational area housing various bars and restaurants. EFE

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