Today’s horrific shootings in downtown Sacramento are shocking and deeply distressing. Our hearts break for those who lost a loved one and for all our colleagues, friends and neighbors who are suffering today.

UC Davis manages the University of California Center Sacramento (UCCS) at 830 K St. We have reached out to the 28 students participating in the program from all UC campuses this quarter, and they are all accounted for and safe. Our UCCS faculty and staff are also safe. To those students and their families, we realize how frightened and overwhelmed you might feel, and we encourage you to reach out to UC Davis or your home campus should you need mental health services or other support.

Please review the COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Flyer for more information about mental health appointments, crisis support and self-care that is available, based on where you are residing. We will have counselors and student support case managers on-site at UCCS on Monday (April 4) or as soon as the area is reopened, to provide comprehensive support for students. If you need immediate mental health support, please call Student Health and Counseling Services at 530-752-0871 for an after-hours counseling service consultation. You may also text “RELATE” to 741741 for free, immediate and confidential crisis support by text message.

Faculty and staff can reach out to the Academic and Staff Assistance Program, which serves the Davis and Sacramento campuses.

Shootings like today’s leave us asking “why” and “what more can be done.” UC Davis is home to the University of California Firearm Violence Research Center, which is committed to researching the nature of firearm violence, including individual and social determinants of violence. The center coordinates research that explores the causes of firearm violence and evaluates ways that future firearm-related harm can be prevented. We believe this crucial work will lead to additional answers about what more can be done in a state that is already a leader for gun control legislation, yet continues to see such tragedies. We are committed to publicly sharing findings of our research.

We are part of the first-responder network for Sacramento, and the UC Davis Medical Center is treating several victims of today’s shootings. We have worked hard to make our Level 1 trauma center one of the best in the country for treating firearm-related violence. Unfortunately, the Emergency Department teams at UC Davis Health see victims of firearm violence on a regular basis, and so they have become experts in providing care when such emergencies happen.

To our Sacramento community, we offer our condolences and support. We are all interconnected, and days like this remind us that we must do all we can to prevent gun violence. We must put an end to gun violence that impacts families and communities long after headlines turn to other global events.