9-year-old girl dead, 3 others wounded after drive-by shooting in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights
A 9-year-old girl was killed in a drive-by shooting at a Del Paso Heights park Saturday afternoon, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Police spokesman Officer Karl Chan said a total of four people were shot — a woman, a man and another girl, age 6. The woman was hospitalized in critical condition; the man and girl were listed in stable condition, police said.
Gunshots were reported around 1:10 p.m. on the 3700 block of Haywood Street, which is near Mama Marks Park. Chan said a family was gathering at the park when a gunman drove up and shot them.
Officers arrived to find the woman and two girls. The nine-year-old was declared dead at the scene. The woman and the six-year-old were taken to a hospital. The woman is currently in critical condition and the six-year-old is stable, according to Chan.
Later, officers learned that a man had taken himself to a hospital, also suffering a gunshot wound. He is currently in stable condition.
Chan, who was in the park as officers continued their investigation, described it as “a very emotional scene.”
No suspect information was immediately known by investigators. Chan said police are investigating a potential gang connection to the shooting but are not confident in any motive.
The identity of the girl is expected to be released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office in the coming days.
It was the first slaying of a young child by gunfire in the area since the shooting of 3-year-old Azalya Anderson, who was hit by a stray bullet Sept. 11, 2018. Azalya died a week a bullet fired from the street struck her in her living room.
This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 3:53 PM.
