USA: At least six people were shot dead in central Sacramento

At least six people were killed and 12 others were injured in an exchange of fire in Sacramento, California, where at least two gunmen opened fire amid an altercation.

According to Kathy Lester, the Sacramento police chief, a “big fight” broke out in the city center at around 02:00 and shots were heard a short time later.

At least one weapon – stolen – was recovered at the scene of the massacre by police officers conducting the search, who confirmed that “several” gunmen had opened fire.

Ms Leicester said there were “crowds” on the scene before the tragedy unfolded.

According to US media, the quarrel broke out outside London, a nightclub that opened in 2019. At least one of the people killed had gone to the nightclub, according to the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

Several videos circulating on social networking sites but their authenticity has not been confirmed depict a quarrel involving several people, before a series of gunshots sounded like an automatic rifle.

Eyewitnesses who spoke to US media also spoke of gunfire that appeared to have come from an automatic.

Six people were killed on the spot, three men and three women, all adults, while twelve more were injured, according to police, who have not yet been able to determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy.

Among the injured, some are “serious”, in “critical” condition, said the mayor of the city, Darrell Steinberg, during a press conference.

“We are asking the citizens to help us locate the suspects and to give us any information that may allow us to shed light on this case,” the police chief said, adding that no suspects have been arrested so far.

“It was horrible,” Barry Axius, an activist who arrived on the scene a few minutes after the massacre, told local television station KXTV. He described “bloodthirsty victims, people screaming, crying, others asking where their brother or mother was, looking for their sons”.

“It is difficult to digest the number of dead and injured,” said Mayor Steinberg. “Our city has a broken heart this morning.”

“Increasing the use of firearms is a scourge for our city, for our state and for our nation, and I support all measures to reduce it,” Mr Steinberg said. “How many more tragedies will it take before we face this disease in our country? Let’s be honest, it is a disease.”

The elected in particular called for a ban on automatic weapons.

“We can not allow violence with the use of firearms to become normal,” said Gavin Newsom, the Democratic leader of California.

Democrat President Joe Biden said for the ninth time a community was mourning victims of gun violence and called on Congress to pass tougher legislation.

“Ban ghost weapons. Demand a history check for all arms sales. Prohibit assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Revoke arms manufacturers’ immunity,” the Democratic president said.

Exchanges of fire in public places are creepily frequent in the USA – in schools, in shopping malls, in supermarkets, in places of worship, in workplaces …

According to the Small Arms Survey, there were some 393 million firearms in the United States in 2017: more than the population. The right to own a firearm is guaranteed by the Constitution.

Countless parliamentary and government initiatives to tighten gun control have ended up in the trash in Congress, where the powerful arms lobby, the NRA, wields considerable influence.

Since the beginning of the year, the Gun Violence Archive has recorded more than 10,700 firearm deaths in the United States, including suicides. Throughout 2021, 45,000 deaths were counted, according to the same source.

SOURCE: AMPE