1-On-1 With Police Chief Kathy Lester On Questions Surrounding Sacramento Shooting
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — On Wednesday, Sacramento police confirmed gang violence was at the center of Sunday morning's mass shooting on K Street that left six people killed and 12 others injured.
Investigators believe there are at least five shooters involved, and that number could grow. Several questions remain surrounding the shooting, including whether the tragedy could have been avoided.
Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester spoke about a new video that shows police may have had contact with two of the suspects just hours before the gun battle.
A live-streamed video obtained by CBS13 timestamped Saturday at 9:45 p.m. appears to show the Martin brothers, Dandrae and Smiley, and Joshua Hoye-Lucceshi, one of six victims in the shooting. Smiley appears to be holding a gun.
A Sacramento police vehicle appears to drive by during the recording of the video. In a second clip, you can hear police on a loudspeaker: "Have you guys seen a 10 or an 8-year-old walking around?"
Voices responded with "no."
The video shows law enforcement interacting with individuals they now say were involved hours later in the K Street killings. We asked the Sacramento Police Department if this was a missed opportunity to stop the violence.
The department points out, that that particular patrol car was looking for the missing boys and had no reason to investigate that group.
Someone near that same apartment complex on Traction Avenue told us they called 911 earlier that night.
Police confirm to CBS13, a 911 call at around 8:15 about noise and a possible fight in the area, but they say the 911 caller did not give a description of the individuals. Based on higher priority calls at the time, officers didn't investigate this one until 10:10 p.m. The police department tells CBS13, that the suspects in the mass shooting were no longer there, although they did interact with a separate group.
"I think that there's a bigger conversation to have about our entire justice system, and so I certainly think talking to the [district attorney] about the questions you posed is definitely worthwhile," Chief Lester said. "But I can say that law enforcement in our state is really challenged. You know, there are a lot of laws on the books that support gun control. Certainly, there are things police can do, and there are also things our justice system just isn't able to support any more."
Chief Lester said this was a traumatic experience for everyone from people at the scene to downtown workers and the community as a whole. She says the department has increased the number of officers in the area.
