Gunshots rang out inside the lobby and computer room of Klamath Hall, a Sacramento State residence hall for first-year students, around 11 p.m. Sunday, sending at least six people running off campus toward J Street. No injuries were reported, but police were still searching for those responsible the following day.
According to The Sacramento Bee, officers confirmed that shots had been fired in the building's first-floor lobby and computer room area after receiving reports of gunfire at approximately 11 p.m. The Bee reported that five male suspects, all between 18 and 20 years old, fled the residence hall on foot. By 3 a.m. Monday, campus police had sent students a message saying there was no ongoing threat to campus, the outlet reported.
The account of how many people police are looking for differs depending on the source. KCRA reported that the university was searching for six people, three of whom were believed to be armed, and that investigators said those involved are not believed to be students. As reported by FOX40, Sacramento State police said six suspects ran off campus toward J Street after the shooting, and the Sacramento State Police Department reportedly arrived within one minute of the gunshot reports.
Descriptions Released as Search Continues
Per FOX40's reporting, police described each of the six suspects as 18 to 20 years old. One was described as 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build, wearing a black North Face jacket and black jeans. Another was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall with clear-rimmed glasses and a black puffer jacket, while a third was described as 6 feet tall in a royal blue hoodie and sweatpants, carrying a black handgun with an extended magazine.
The outlet also reported descriptions of a fourth suspect, roughly 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and 200 pounds, wearing glasses and a gray hoodie under a black North Face jacket; a fifth suspect described as 6 feet tall and 175 pounds in a black puffer jacket, carrying a black handgun; and a sixth suspect described as 6 feet tall and 165 pounds, wearing a black ski mask and carrying a stainless steel handgun. Sacramento State police are investigating the incident and have encouraged anyone with information on this or similar incidents to call 916-278-6000, according to FOX40.
Campus Tightens Access After Second Shooting This Fall
In response to the shooting, Sacramento State increased patrols, modified access to certain buildings, and suspended daytime and nighttime privileges for guests, per the same KCRA report. The university said it was working with local law enforcement to try to find the people responsible. Klamath Hall sits within North Village, which houses 2,500 students across seven residence halls, and the Bee noted that nonlocal first-year students are already required to live there, with the requirement set to extend to sophomores next year.
This marks the second shooting tied to the Sacramento State campus this fall. In September, two shots were fired at a campus parking structure during the football team's home opener against Mississippi Valley State, with more than 18,500 fans in the stands, according to the Sacramento Bee's separate report. No one was injured in that incident either, and university police arrived in less than a minute after a student community service officer reported hearing shots. Witnesses said the suspects in that case also fled on foot and left campus, and the university said afterward it would identify additional safety measures for future game days.
The Sacramento State Police Department provides 24-hour law enforcement services throughout the year and is the primary law enforcement agency for crimes occurring on the university's main campus properties, according to the school's Annual Security Report. For now, investigators have not said whether anyone has been identified or arrested in connection with Sunday's shooting at Klamath Hall, and the search for the six suspects continues.
