Las Vegas Sun

April 18, 2024

1 jailed, gunman still sought in Sacramento college shooting

Sacramento City College

Renée C. Byer / The Sacramento Bee via AP

A police officer stands guard as Sacramento City College is on lockdown while police search the area after a shooting, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, in Sacramento, Calif. The shooting occurred in a parking lot near the baseball field on the college campus.

Updated Friday, Sept. 4, 2015 | 8:33 p.m.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One of the victims in the shooting of three students on a Sacramento college campus has been arrested, while authorities were still seeking the gunman who killed one and injured two.

Rico Ridgeway, 25, was arrested Friday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon a day after the shooting at Sacramento City College. Ridgeway was one of three people shot in a parking lot at the edge of campus, but suffered only a graze wound. One other 25-year-old man was killed and a third man was hospitalized but is expected to survive.

Ridgeway was jailed then placed on a parole hold, police said. They did not know if he'd hired an attorney or provide any other information on the evidence that led to his arrest.

But police said previously that in addition to the gunman, one man had pulled a knife in the dispute that led to the shooting.

The gunman, who ran away after the shooting, wasn't found in a sweep of the campus and surrounding neighborhood, Sacramento police Sgt. Doug Morse said.

The dead victim was identified as Roman P. Gonzalez, according to the Sacramento County coroner's office.

His cousin, Vincent Trejo, said Gonzalez was in his first year at the college.

"He was a good man always willing to lend a hand," Trejo said told the Sacramento Bee.

Gonzalez had a criminal record, according to court records obtained by the Bee, including a no contest plea to assault with a deadly weapon.

A physical fight escalated when a knife and gun were pulled out Thursday afternoon in the parking lot near a softball field, police said, leading to the shooting.

Authorities have not ruled out gang involvement.

It was also unclear whether the gunman has any ties to the school, and police have not given a motive.

The campus was locked down for about two hours Thursday before police officers had cleared all the buildings and allowed students and staff to leave, Morse said.

Classes resumed on Friday at the two-year college in central Sacramento with a student body of about 25,000.

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