‘I couldn’t leave her’: Neighbor recounts assisting family after teen fatally shot in Natomas
By Lee Anne Denyer
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — The family of a Sacramento teenager is searching for answers after he was shot and killed early Sunday morning.
Jeremiah Walker, 18, was set to graduate from Grant Union High School later this month. A spokesperson for the Walker family told KCRA 3 he’d been attending a party in Natomas when he was shot.
“First and foremost, my heart goes out to Jeremiah’s mother,” said Obreaya Barber, who lives nearby. “I’m a mom and my heart just couldn’t leave her.”
Barber said she heard what sounded like eight gunshots from her home and followed the sound of sirens to the scene where she found a woman. She later realized she was the victim’s mother. She said she stayed with her, consoling her and members of the family, until Sunday afternoon.
“I couldn’t leave her,” Barber said.
The Walker family provided a written statement Monday, writing in part, “We just want to know what happened and for those who committed this senseless act of gun violence to be brought to justice.”
The family thanked the community for the outpouring of support, saying Jeremiah was a beautiful soul with more life to live.
Details from police remain limited. No arrests have been made.
A spokesperson from the Sacramento Police Department said investigators still have “a lot” of physical and digital evidence to process as they put together a “clear picture” of what happened. They could not answer further questions about the alleged party or what led up to the shooting.
Multiple people said they heard numerous gunshots and screaming around 1 a.m. Several neighbors also said they believed the home was being used as a short-term rental.
KCRA 3 called the phone number associated with property records for the home, but the person who answered the two calls would not comment.
An Air BNB spokesperson said the house had been listed before, but did not have a reservation this past weekend. KCRA 3 reached out to VRBO but did not hear back.
Sacramento police are encouraging any additional witnesses to come forward to contact investigators at 916-808-5471 or to call Crime Stoppers.
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