A nightclub came under siege in the early hours of Monday in Downtown Sacramento when a person opened gunfire killing 1 and injuring 4 others.
According to the police, this is the second incident of mass shooting in the City Center in the past three months.
No suspects have been arrested in connection to the shooting incident, said Kathy Lester, Police Chief of Sacramento.
According to the police, the shooting episode took place outside a mixed nightclub located at L and 16th streets. People were coming out of the nightclub when the shooting happened.
Police have cordoned off the area surrounding 16th street which is located between L and J streets.
The deceased person was identified as Greg Najee Grimes by his family and close friends. Greg Najee Grimes was 31-year-old and was working as an assistant coach for football at the Inderkum High School. It was the same school from which Grimes graduated back in 2008 and had earned a scholarship to study at the prestigious Boise State University.
An eyewitness, Rey Rodriguez, who was also present at the same nightclub when the shooting incident took place stated that everything was normal. He did not witness any kind of fighting or arguments inside the club but when he was leaving with his friends approximately at 1:50 am, he heard the gunshots.
“All you hear is bam bam bam …. it’s just automatic gunfire,” said Rodriguez. “They brought us back inside the club, basically.”
Rodriguez stated that he and his friends stayed back inside the club for another 15 minutes till the police arrived at the scene. He saw casings of bullets scattered while leaving the club. The casings were “all over the ground..”
The Sacramento police have set up a portal for witnesses to come forward and share any kind of video or picture that may help them get close to the culprit. The police are seeking help from the community and have assured that all the tips will remain anonymous.
The Mayor of Sacramento Darrell Steinberg announced that gun violence is becoming a real threat to the peace in the country and “an emergency that requires an immediate and effective response.”
“Whether it’s a mass shooting or an altercation that turns deadly, the root cause is the same,” Steinberg said. “The proliferation of guns and a lack of adequate societal and mental health support in our country means more people are armed and ready to pull the trigger.” This is the third incident of mass shooting in Sacramento since the beginning of the year.
