US: Shooting in Sacramento leaves several dead

At least six people have died following a shooting in downtown Sacramento, California, local police said Sunday.

The victims include three men and three women, Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester told reporters.

Another 12 other people were injured in the shooting — with four people sustaining life-threatening injuries.

The shooting took place in the downtown area of the city which is full of bars and restaurants.

Residents had been urged to avoid the area where the violence occurred.

Arrests yet to be made

Police Chief Lester told reporters that at least two shooters involved in the shooting, but the suspects are still at large. 

"We are asking for the public's help in helping us to identify the suspects in this and provide any information they can to help us solve this," Lester said.

Police said they were reviewing social media video that appeared to show an altercation before the shooting began. They cautioned, however, that it was unclear if the fight actually prompted the shooting.

Authorities described the crime scene as "really complex and complicated," sprawling across several city blocks.

California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a statement on Twitter in which he said gun violence could no longer be tolerated.

"Yet another mass casualty shooting — leaving families with lost loved ones, people injured, and a community in grief. We are working closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation. We cannot continue to let gun violence be the new normal," Newsom tweeted.

US gun violence scourge

Just over a month ago and in the same city, a man shot and killed his three children along with another person before turning the weapon on himself.

In September 2021  the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  released figures showing that the United States experienced a sharp year-on-year increase in murders and other intentional homicides in 2020, with more than three-quarters being carried out with firearms.

The US murder rate is notoriously high among more-developed countries. Of the G20 members, only South Africa, Brazil and Russia tend to record higher murder rates per capita, while Argentina's figures are roughly the same.

rs, kb/wd (Reuters, AP)