Man killed outside East Sacramento tennis club, marking city’s 49th homicide victim
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Police are investigating after a man was fatally shot Thursday afternoon during an apparent robbery near a popular tennis club in East Sacramento.
The shooting happened near 39th and N streets shortly after 12:30 p.m., just north of Folsom Boulevard, according to Sacramento Police Department spokesman Officer Ryan Woo.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, from a single gunshot wound. The involved suspect or suspects fled the area before police arrived.
Department spokesman Sgt. Zach Eaton said the shooting happened in the alley “just outside” Sutter Lawn Tennis Club, but not on the property of the private facility. He said officers responded to reports of a shooting in the alley and found the victim with a gunshot wound.
Eaton said the victim’s age had not been confirmed but described him as elderly. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office will release the man’s name after his family has been notified.
“Obviously, this happened in a well-known area of Sacramento,” Eaton said. “It’s an uncommon area to see gun violence based on the data we have, that we track in our city.”
In a news release issued Thursday evening, police said detectives believe an apparent robbery preceded the shooting. The detectives, however, are still in the early stages of the investigation and trying to determine the exact circumstances that led to the fatal shooting.
“This is yet another example of vulnerable people in our community being tragically affected by gun violence,” Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said in the news release. “The community is right to be outraged at this unacceptable behavior.”
The Police Department, as of Thursday night, had not released any suspect information.
People were asked to avoid the area, and some roadways were closed near the scene due to the investigation.
Several patrol vehicles were at the scene, and some nearby residential streets in the city’s Fabulous 40s neighborhood were cordoned off with yellow caution tape as of 3 p.m. Thursday.
Jim Tracy, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1982, is a member of the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club. He said he didn’t know the man who was killed Thursday, and he was uncertain if the victim was a member of the club. He said he and his wife would usually be at the club in the swimming pool in the afternoon.
“I’m glad we weren’t over there swimming today,” Tracy said after he tried to get a closer look about a half of a block west of the crime scene.
The neighborhood, known for its expensive homes and manicured lawns, is not accustomed to deadly shootings in broad daylight. Tracy said thefts, such as vehicle burglaries, are more likely to happen if you drop your guard. But not violence.
“The crime that we get down here are more crimes of opportunity,” Tracy said. “But nothing like this.”
Eaton said it was not known whether the shooting was targeted or random, and he asked anyone with information about the deadly shooting to come forward and speak with investigators. The death marks the city’s 49th homicide of 2022.
“This violence is unacceptable, and it needs to stop,” Eaton said. “The community needs to come together and confront this violence.”
Investigators asked anyone with information about this fatal shooting to call officers at 916-808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the P3 Tips website and app.
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 1:23 PM.
