Mother of Sacramento shooting victim decries ‘senseless massacre’ as hunt for multiple gunmen continues

‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t even feel like this is real. I feel like this is a dream,’ mother Pamela Harris says

The mother of one of the victims in the Sacramento mass shooting has decried the “senseless” massacre as the hunt for multiple gunmen carries on.

Sergio Harris, 38, was a married father of two who died in the shooting at around 2am on Sunday morning in the California state capital. In total, six people were killed and 12 were injured – four of them critically.

His mother, Pamela Harris, told NBC’s Today that “hopefully they’ll catch these people and prosecute them to the fullest”.

“Because this was senseless,” she added.

She said that there were “bullets everywhere” after at least two men discharged more than 75 rounds in under a minute when people were entering the street as they left bars and clubs.

Mr Harris was one of the first two victims to be identified. Three men and three women died in the shooting. His mother told Reuters that she “just collapsed” when she was notified of his death. She added that she’s hoping “to get some answers”.

Sergio Harris, 38, was killed in the Sacramento mass shooting on Sunday (Family Handout)

“All I know is my son’s dead,” Ms Harris said. “He has two young daughters that love him dearly, and he loved them. They’re not gonna see their father anymore.”

Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said on Sunday that “a large fight took place just prior to the shooting, and we have confirmed there were multiple shooters”.

The police said they’re aware of a social media video showing “an altercation that preceded the shooting”. They asked witnesses to send additional footage to aid the manhunt.

“The scale of violence that just happened in our city is unprecedented during my 27 years here,” Chief Lester told reporters.

“Today, America once again mourns for another community devastated by gun violence,” President Joe Biden said on Sunday. “But we must do more than mourn – we must act.”

“That is why my Administration has taken historic executive action to implement my comprehensive gun crime reduction strategy — from standing up gun trafficking strike forces to helping cities across the country expand community violence interventions and hire more police officers for community policing,” he added.

“We also continue to call on Congress to act. Ban ghost guns. Require background checks for all gun sales. Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Repeal gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability,” Mr Biden said in his statement. “Pass my budget proposal, which would give cities more of the funding they need to fund the police and fund the crime prevention and intervention strategies that can make our cities safer. These are just a few of the steps Congress urgently needs to take to save lives.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that “another mass casualty shooting has occurred, leaving families with lost loved ones, multiple individuals injured and a community in grief. The scourge of gun violence continues to be a crisis in our country, and we must resolve to bring an end to this carnage”.

Leticia Harris, left, the wife of mass shooting victim Sergio Harris, consoles his mother, Pamela Harris after receiving the news of his death In Sacramento, Calif. April 3, 2022 (AP)

“My son was a very vivacious young man,” Ms Harris told KCRA. “Fun to be around, liked to party, smiling all the time. Don’t bother people. For this to happen is crazy. I’m just to the point right now, I don’t know what to do. I don’t even feel like this is real. I feel like this is a dream.”

“This is a sad and terrible act of violence that took the lives of many,” Mr Harris’ wife Leticia Harris told the local station. “I want answers so I can have closure for my children.”