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Police arrest a man after the deadliest mass shooting in Sacramento history

Flowers and votive candles make up a memorial near the location of Sunday's mass shooting in Sacramento, California.
Rich Pedroncelli
/
AP
Flowers and votive candles make up a memorial near the location of Sunday's mass shooting in Sacramento, California.

Updated April 4, 2022 at 4:36 PM ET

Police in Sacramento, Calif., have arrested a suspect related to the mass shooting in the city's downtown area early Sunday morning.

Dandrae Martin, 26, was charged with assault and illegal firearm possession on Monday — the day after six people were killed and 12 others injured in the shooting. Other shooters are still being sought by investigators, according to the Sacramento Police Department.

Police have released only small details of what transpired early Sunday. Investigators are seeking information from the public on other suspects and what, exactly, happened.

Here's what we know so far:

The ages of those killed range from 21 to 57

Local authorities released the names of the six people killed in the melee.

According to CapRadio, they are:

  • Johntaya Alexander, 21
  • Melinda Davis, 57
  • Sergio Harris, 38
  • Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32
  • Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21
  • Devazia Turner, 29
  • Police are looking for multiple shooters

    Investigators search for evidence in the area of a mass shooting in downtown Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday.
    Rich Pedroncelli / AP
    /
    AP
    Investigators search for evidence in the area of the mass shooting in downtown Sacramento on Sunday.

    During the preliminary processing of the crime scene, investigators found that at least three buildings and three cars near the scene were struck by gunfire. More than 100 shell casings were recovered.

    Following Martin's arrest, police and SWAT detectives served search warrants at three houses in the area. At least one handgun was recovered from those searches.

    The police have asked the public to submit any videos or photos through the department's evidence portal to help them find anyone who played a part in the shocking crime. So far, 100 video and photo files have been submitted.

    Referring to those tips, Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester told journalists Sunday evening: "We are deeply grateful for that."

    Footage of the violence was also captured by a police camera at an intersection near the shootings, she said. The chief also said police recovered a stolen handgun from the scene.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the shooting is "yet another horrendous act of gun violence," saying his administration is working closely with local and state law enforcement agencies.

    Details from witnesses emerge

    Police work the scene at the corner of 10th and J streets in Sacramento after Sunday's shooting.
    David Odisho / Getty Images
    /
    Getty Images
    Police work the scene at the corner of 10th and J streets in Sacramento after Sunday's shooting.

    Police officers were in the area and raced to the scene when they heard the shots, Lester said. They rushed to learn what happened and to perform CPR on victims, she added.

    Berry Accius, who runs a nonprofit that helps young people in the area, told Capital Public Radio that he went downtown less than an hour after the shooting.

    "When I first came, I saw a victim who was injured, draped in blood, and another person screaming about her son. ... Another lady screaming, saying she saw her sister take her last breath," he said.

    A large fight broke out just before the gunfire

    The gunfire erupted near the corner of 10th and K streets, close to the California State Capitol, around 2 a.m., according to the Sacramento Police Department's Facebook page.

    Cellphone videos circulating online captured a fight among a large crowd of people on a sidewalk in the area of the shooting. The footage shows people running for their lives as the first shots ring out, followed by dozens more shots. It's not yet known how that fracas might be linked to the shooting.

    Investigators found "hundreds of pieces of evidence at the scene," Lester said.

    "What happened last night is the biggest and most recent example of what we all know," the police chief said. "Gun violence is truly a crisis in our community, and it has increased not only here in Sacramento but across the nation."

    Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Dustin Jones
    Dustin Jones is a reporter for NPR's digital news desk. He mainly covers breaking news, but enjoys working on long-form narrative pieces.
    Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.