Sacramento (United States), Apr 3 (IANS): At least six people were killed and 9 others were wounded in a shooting in downtown Sacramento, the capital city of the US state of California, local police said on Sunday.

"Officers located at least 15 shooting victims, including six who are deceased," the Police Department tweeted.

Police closed several streets after the shooting happened early Sunday morning in Sacramento, Xinhua news agency reported.

Gun violence has been on the rise across the United States in the past few years, a trend fueled by a confluence of factors, from the economic and social disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to the unrest during the 2020 elections, as well as a surge in gun sales.

More than 17,000 people have died or been injured due to gun violence in the country so far this year, during which time America has seen at least 110 mass shootings, according to a database run by the non-profit research group Gun Violence Archive.