SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — Sacramento police arrested a 26-year-old suspect Monday in connection with a mass shooting that left six dead and a dozen others wounded over the weekend.
Dandrae Martin faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and illegal possession of a firearm, though his connection to the mass shooting remains unclear. A judge has also issued three residential search warrants in connection with the shooting.
“It is really important to me that we get this right and get justice for those families,” Police Chief Kathy Lester told Sacramento NBC affiliate KCRA on Monday.
The mass shooting occurred at around 2 a.m. Sunday morning, as bars in downtown Sacramento were closing and dozens of people hit the streets a block from the state Capitol. Six people died at the scene and another 12 were wounded, according to Sacramento Police Department.
The bodies of the three men and three women were finally transferred to the coroner's office at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, after 18 hours on the street shielded by white tents. The victims have been identified as Sergio Harris, 38; DeVazia Turner, 29; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; Melinda Davis, 57; Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21; and Johntaya Alexander, 21.
The streets surrounding the intersection of 10th and K, the location of the shooting, remained blocked by police until Monday morning. Over 100 shell casings have been recovered by law enforcement and several buildings and cars were shot. In addition, a stolen handgun was discovered at the scene. Though nearby streets have since reopened, evidence markers remain on K Street.
“Gun violence is truly a crisis in our community and has increased not only here in Sacramento but across the nation,” Lester said.
In an effort to heal as a community, a vigil will be held Monday evening a mile from the scene. Community activist Berry Accius, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and others will gather at Ali Youssefi Square at 7:30 p.m. amid calls from the public for lawmakers, police and community leaders to do more to keep Sacramento safe.
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