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Remembering Yamile Martinez-Andrade: Sacramento shooting victim had 'beautiful heart'

A friend described Martinez-Andrade as “a beautiful person, inside and out." Her stepfather wants answers from police.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yamile Martinez-Andrade was one of the six people killed in the downtown shooting in Sacramento on Sunday morning. 

She was 21 years old.

Her friend, Kyra Luna, told ABC10 witnessed her friend's death. She described Martinez-Andrade as “a beautiful person, inside and out."

“There was never a dull moment with her. She has a beautiful heart and a beautiful mind. Everyone misses her so much," Luna said.

Martinez-Andrade was from Selma, California, and was the youngest victim in the shooting.

To her family, she was "Yammi." 

She came to Sacramento for a concert, but her family said they lost contact with her over the weekend and are still looking for answers.

"We kind of had a feeling something was wrong," her stepfather Frank Gonzalez, said. "Well, we didn't know what, and her friend told us and, when she called us yesterday, that's when I started calling around to the hospitals and places like that... But I couldn't get no answers from anybody till late last night. The corner finally called me and told me."

Gonzalez said she was a caring person who loved going to concerts, trying new places to eat and often planned weekend trips to places like Sacramento. 

Credit: Kyra Luna

He said the hardest part is the lack of answers from police and what happened that night.

"We don't really know what happened other than what we heard on the news, and, you know, the shooting and stuff like that. We're still kind of waiting for answers or clarity." he said.

Few details about what happened and what led up to the shooting have been released at this time, but 6 people were killed and 12 were hurt in the city's downtown entertainment district.

The shots rang out after a fight on a street lined with a hotel, nightclub and bars, however, police don't know if the fight was connected to the shooting. Video from witnesses posted on social media showed rapid gunfire for at least 45 seconds as people screamed and ran for cover.

Gonzalez is pleading with law enforcement to be more communicative to the families and victims.

"I know the PD does their work and stuff, but it would be nice for them to be more responsible and, you know, more communicative," he said.


Watch more on ABC10: Although there’s no cure-all for gun violence, local groups and leaders say there are practical steps communities can take to help with prevention. 

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