Downtown Sacramento shooting: Here’s where, which streets are closed and timeline

Police shot and killed a gunman who had barricaded himself in a downtown Sacramento parking garage Tuesday morning, officials said.

Here’s what we know so far:

Where downtown Sacramento shooting took place

The man was reported in the Downtown Plaza West parking garage at Third and L streets with a weapon just after 1 a.m., as three 911 callers told police he approached them with a gun after they stepped off the elevator.

The garage is west of Macy’s department store and the Downtown Commons area, east of Interstate 5. Police found the man a few minutes later squatting behind walls on the garage’s top floor.

Roadways surrounding the scene — Third, Fifth, L and J streets around the west end of the former Downtown Plaza — remained closed Tuesday morning as police investigate the incident. I-5 through downtown remains open. By 11:30 a.m., roadways had reopened to traffic though the garage was expected to remain closed.

Timeline of standoff

Tuesday, Sept. 12:

1 a.m.: Just after 1 a.m., police responded to 911 calls reporting the gunman. He was located shortly after and the local SWAT team and crisis negotiators arrived on scene.

5:30 a.m.: Just before 5:30 a.m., police fired at the suspect. Sgt. Carlos Martinez, a Sacramento police spokesman, said the armed man fired multiple gunshots as officers tried to negotiate his safe surrender. At one point, the gunman pointed the weapon at an officer, and that’s when police shot him, Martinez said.

9 a.m.: Martinez, the agency spokesman, announced the man had died.

11:30 a.m.: Roadways had reopened to traffic though the garage was expected to remain closed.

What we know about the gunman

Authorities have not released the name of the gunman as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.

This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 10:17 AM.