SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento families were in shock Monday after hearing it was a 12-year-old boy who lost his life after a shooting in their neighborhood. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office identified him as Santino Joseph Contreras of Sacramento.
One family who has lived in the area for almost 50 years says it's the most horrific thing that's happened near their home.
"We were watching TV, I was waiting for dinner to get done in the oven and heard this loud bang against the side of the house. Then I heard a pop, pop, pop, pop, pop," said Debbie Stephens, a neighbor.
Stephens recalls hearing multiple shots fired outside her home on the 22nd street in Meadowview, a suburb of Sacramento, Saturday evening. One of those shots hit a window in her garage.
Her mother, who she lives with called 9-1-1 and they stayed inside until police arrived.
Stephens says she saw the boy lying near the sidewalk, just steps from her front door.
"I saw them working on somebody on the ground. At the time, I didn't know it was a 12-year-old kid. And when we found out it was a 12-year-old boy, I was just, we're still heartbroken and it was such a young life that got taken. And it scared me, she was shaken the rest of the night over it," said Stephens.
Sacramento police say they responded to the scene after 6 p.m. and found the boy with a gunshot wound.
They tried to save him but he succumbed to his injuries.
"Just really sad. He didn't get a chance to be a teenager. You know, we don't know if he was wrong place, wrong time, You know, if it was targeted. You know, if it was gang-related," said Stephens.
Neighbors say they hope investigators can quickly identify who killed him.
"Still a little on edge because you just never know, you know. If it happened once, it could happen again. If it could happen to one kid, it could happen to anybody," said Stephens.
ABC10 asked police if the young boy may have had gang affiliations, but they couldn't confirm any.
Police have yet to identify a suspect, nor do they have a description. But they are asking you for any help with the investigation.
