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2022 Sacramento shooting

Coordinates: 38°34′45″N 121°29′38″W / 38.57921°N 121.49395°W / 38.57921; -121.49395
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2022 Sacramento shooting
2022 Sacramento shooting is located in Sacramento, California
2022 Sacramento shooting
2022 Sacramento shooting (Sacramento, California)
The location of the shooting
LocationArea of 10th Street and K Street
Downtown Sacramento, California, U.S.
Coordinates38°34′45″N 121°29′38″W / 38.57921°N 121.49395°W / 38.57921; -121.49395
DateApril 3, 2022 (2022-04-03)
c. 2:00 a.m. (PDT)
Attack type
Mass shooting, gang violence
WeaponsHandguns
Deaths6[1] (including one of the perpetrators)
Injured12[2] (including at least one of the suspects)
Perpetrators
  • DeVazia Turner[3][4]
  • Smiley Martin
MotiveFeud between Crips and Bloods gangs[5]
Accused
  • Dandrae Martin
  • Mtula Payton
Charges

On April 3, 2022, at approximately 2:00 a.m., a mass shooting occurred in downtown Sacramento, California, United States. Six people were killed and twelve others were injured. The Sacramento Bee described it as the "worst mass shooting in Sacramento's history". Five shooters are suspected to be involved in the incident.[6]

Events

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Picture of the intersection of 10th and K Streets at night
The shooting occurred near the intersection of 10th and K Streets, pictured here in 2021

The shooting occurred at around 2:00 a.m. in the area of 10th Street and K Street, just blocks away from the California State Capitol and the Golden 1 Center. One suspect continued shooting as he ran north on 10th Street towards J Street.[7] Police officers nearby heard the gunshots and immediately responded.[8]

The shooting caused damage to at least three buildings and three vehicles.[9] On Twitter, a video was circulated showing people running down the street and rapid gunfire being heard in the background.[8] In another Twitter video, a large group of people can be seen surrounding two people fighting when gunfire breaks out behind them.

According to Sacramento Police Department chief Kathy Lester, it was initially unclear if the shooting was connected to a particular venue or event. She also said there was a fight immediately prior to the shooting. Lester said that there were multiple shooters, whom the police are seeking.[10]

Victims

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There were six fatalities in the shooting: three men and three women.[11] A 38-year-old man was the first dead person whose identity was released, on the night of the shooting.[12] The other victims were identified by the Sacramento County Coroners Office early the next morning, with the dead ranging in age between 21 and 57 years-old.[13]

Another 12 people suffered from varying degrees of injury:

  • Four were taken to the trauma unit at UC Davis Medical Center.
  • Five were taken to Sutter Medical Center.
  • Another two people injured in the shooting walked into Sutter around 2:55 a.m. and a third injured victim was transported to Sutter by ambulance.[14]

On the same day as the shooting, the five treated overnight at Sutter were discharged, and, the following day, two of the four treated at UC Davis were discharged.[15][13]

Investigation

[edit]

Immediately after the shooting, police closed the area bounded by 9th, 13th, L, and J Streets, and called for the public to avoid the area.[16]

The police later appealed to the public for help in identifying the people involved in the shooting. The ATF was called in to assist the Sacramento Police Department in the investigation.[8] Police recovered two handguns from the scene, one stolen, and confirmed there were multiple shooters.[16] The streets were reopened the day after the shooting.[17] Police recovered 114 used bullet shells at the crime scene, and identified several buildings and vehicles that were hit with bullets.[18][19]

On April 4, three suspects were apprehended throughout the day:

  • Dandrae Stephan Martin (born June 7, 1995), a 26-year-old male, was arrested just after midnight for suspicion of assault,[20] possession of a handgun that was found at the scene, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On Saturday night, prior to the shooting, Dandrae streamed himself on Facebook Live brandishing a handgun.[21] He was scheduled to appear in the Sacramento Superior Court on April 5.[17] He was described as a "related suspect" by police, who also had searched three residences in the area, finding the handguns. The police were still seeking multiple suspects after the arrest, saying that "this individual has not been arrested for any homicide related to this incident".[18]
  • Smiley Allen Martin (born July 9, 1994), a 27-year-old brother of Dandrae, was the second suspect arrested. Both Dandrae and Smiley were residents of Phoenix, Arizona, and both had an Arizona criminal history dating back to 2013 and 2014.[22][23][24][25] In 2018, Smiley was sentenced to 10 years in prison for domestic violence but was released in February 2022.[26][21][27][28] Both Martin brothers had been injured in the shooting.[29] He was later charged with possession of a machine gun as a Glock 19 handgun with a device that allows full auto fire was discovered at the scene and the investigation found that it was fired during the shooting.[30]
  • Daviyonne Dawson, a 31-year-old man, was also arrested.[31] Police recovered a gun with Dawson's arrest, but due to the firearm type, it is not believed the gun was used in the shooting. He was subsequently released the following day after posting $500,000 bail.[32] He was seen carrying a gun after the shooting, but is not charged with being involved in the shooting.[33]

On April 6, police said they believe that at least five shooters were involved. While police did not have a precise motive for the shooting, they considered it gang-related: "it is increasingly clear that gang violence is at the center of this tragedy. While we cannot at this time elaborate on the precise gang affiliation of individuals involved, gangs and gang violence are inseparable from the events that drove these shootings." According to law enforcement, one side in the shooting had ties to the Crips gang while the other side had ties to the rival Bloods gang. Gang violence had been a problem in Sacramento for several years prior to the shooting, with a spate of shootings in 2017 leading the city council to funnel millions of dollars in funding to prevent neighborhood violence.[5]

On April 12, a fourth suspect was identified, 27-year-old Mtula Tashamby Payton (born May 27, 1994), a resident from Las Vegas, Nevada. Police indicated that Payton was involved in the shooting, and called on the public to provide information on his whereabouts.[34]

According to April 16 court documents, three of those killed were involved in a gang dispute, and at least one of them fired a weapon.[1]

On May 3, Smiley Martin, Dandrae Martin, and Payton were charged with murder for the deaths of Johantaya Alexander, Melinda Davis and Yamile Martinez-Andrade. They were not charged with murder for the deaths of three other people because those people were believed to be involved in the gunfight that led to the deaths of the bystanders.[7][35] Payton was arrested in Las Vegas on May 28.[36]

Smiley Martin died in jail on June 8, 2024.[37]

Reactions

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The site of the shooting on the corner of K street and 10th on April 9, 2022

President Joe Biden called on the United States Congress to work on new gun control measures.[38] He proposed a requirement of checking people's background for gun purchases and a ban of privately made firearms, assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.[8] Most of these were already enforced in California and the state has the strictest gun control laws out of any U.S. state.[39][40]

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the shooting and called for stricter gun laws, tweeting, "We cannot continue to let gun violence be the new normal."[41]

Michael Ault, executive director of Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said that the city is in the process of reinforcing public safety by adding lights and security cameras and implementing laws. Mayor Darrell Steinberg said the city has invested $8.1 million to provide better lighting and security.[42]

On the night of the shooting, a candlelight vigil was held at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th Street,[43] where people prayed and called for peace.[12][44] Another vigil was held on the evening of April 4.[12] Sacramento community members brought candles, balloons and flowers to the streets closed by the police.[45]

An NBA game played later that day in the Golden 1 Center between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors started with a moment of silence for the victims.[46][47] Pop group Aly & AJ and their touring group offered their sympathy for the victims and first responders; the group had been performing at the Crest Theatre, and their tour bus had been caught in the crossfire of the shooting, with no injuries reported from their group.[48]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Sacramento shootout that killed 6 detailed in court filing". www.ny1.com.
  2. ^ "Mass shooting suspect appears in court". April 24, 2022.
  3. ^ https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article260465242.html [bare URL]
  4. ^ "DA: 100+ shots fired, 3 of 6 dead in Sacramento shootout were in gang dispute | Sacramento Shootout Update". abc10.com. April 18, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "At least five shooters involved in Sacramento massacre, gang ties likely, police say". Los Angeles Times. April 6, 2022.
  6. ^ Powell, Tori B. (April 6, 2022). "Police say at least 5 people fired weapons in Sacramento mass shooting; likely gang violence". CBS News.
  7. ^ a b Three charged with murder in connection with Sacramento mass shooting. Here's what we know
  8. ^ a b c d
  9. ^ Stark, Katelyn (April 4, 2022). "26-year-old arrested in Sacramento mass shooting". KTLA. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  10. ^ Gardiner, Dustin; Fagan, Kevin; Cassidy, Megan; Bollag, Sophia (April 3, 2022). "Sacramento shooting: 'Multiple' gunmen sought after 6 killed, 12 injured". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  11. ^ Bacon, John; Tebor, Celina (April 3, 2022). "Police seek multiple suspects after deadly shooting killed 6, injured 12 in downtown Sacramento". USA Today. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c McGough, Michael (April 4, 2022). "Suspects at large after mass shooting killed 6, injured 12 in Sacramento". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  13. ^ a b McGough, Michael (April 4, 2022). "All 6 killed in downtown Sacramento mass shooting identified. Here are their names". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  14. ^ McGough, Michael; Pohl, Jason; Stanton, Sam. "Mass shooting timeline: What happened and when on K Street in downtown Sacramento?". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  15. ^ Flores, Jessica (April 4, 2022). "Sacramento shooting victims' names released; 7 injured discharged from hospital". San Francisco Chronicle.
  16. ^ a b Stanton, Sam; Pohl, Jason; Lillis, Ryan; Kasler, Dale (April 3, 2022). "Live Updates: 6 killed, 12 hurt in Sacramento shooting; police find weapon, search for shooter". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Beam, Adam; Ronayne, Kathleen (April 4, 2022). "Arrest made in connection with Sacramento mass shooting". AP News. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Hepler, Lauren; Flores, Jessica (April 4, 2022). "Sacramento mass shooting: Suspect arrested as search continues for gunmen in the killings". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  19. ^ https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article284398585.html [bare URL]
  20. ^ Goss, Emma; Seldon, Aja (April 4, 2022). "Police arrest suspect in downtown Sacramento shooting that killed 6". KTVU. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Stanton, Sam (April 6, 2022). "Suspect in Sacramento mass shooting was out of prison despite 10-year term". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  22. ^ Blankstein, Andrew; Lozano, Alicia Victoria; Li, David K. (April 5, 2022). "Second arrest made in Sacramento shooting that left 6 dead, 12 wounded". NBC News.
  23. ^ Sarbak, Marissa (April 6, 2022). "Second Sacramento shooting suspects have violent ties to Arizona, court documents show". KSAZ-TV.
  24. ^ "Second Sacramento mass shooting suspect charged with marijuana violation in Maricopa County, Arizona, records show". KNXV-TV. April 6, 2022.
  25. ^ "Third arrest in Sacramento shooting connection". KPIX-TV. April 5, 2022.
  26. ^ Thompson, Don (April 8, 2022). "Law reduced prison time for man tied to Sacramento shooting". AP NEWS.
  27. ^ Winton, Richard; Chabria, Anita (April 5, 2022). "Sacramento shooting suspect got out of prison despite DA's opposition". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  28. ^ "Flaw in the System? Early Release of Sacramento Shooting Suspect Raises More Questions". CBS News. April 6, 2022.
  29. ^ Vera, Amir; Romine, Taylor; Mossburg, Cheri (April 6, 2022). "Sacramento mass shooting was the result of gang violence and involved at least 5 gunmen, police say". CNN.
  30. ^ "Downtown shootout suspect Smiley Martin makes first court appearance today". April 22, 2022.
  31. ^ "Third arrest in Sacramento shooting connection". KPIX-TV. April 5, 2022.
  32. ^ Stanton, Sam (April 5, 2022). "Third man arrested, then released on $500K bail, for a gun charge after Sacramento mass shooting". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  33. ^ Serrin, Greta (April 19, 2022). "3 killed in Sac downtown shooting were part of gang-related dispute ahead of gunfight, DA says". KCRA.
  34. ^ "Sacramento Police: 3 suspected shooters in K Street shootout identified". abc10.com. April 12, 2022.
  35. ^ "DA: Murder charges filed against 3 suspects from K Street shooting". May 3, 2022.
  36. ^ "Sacramento K Street shooting suspect Mtula Payton arrested in Las Vegas". May 30, 2022.
  37. ^ "Sacramento mass shooting suspect dies in jail cell, police and attorney say". Associated Press. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  38. ^ Cullinane, Susannah (April 4, 2022). "Sacramento police hunt for multiple suspects after mass shooting leaves six dead". CNN. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  39. ^ Kasler, Dale (April 3, 2022). "California has toughest U.S. gun laws. After Sacramento shooting, what else can lawmakers do?". The Mercury News. The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  40. ^ "Editorial: Gun violence is America's way of life — and death". Los Angeles Times. April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  41. ^ Gavin Newsom condemns 'horrendous act of gun violence' in response to Sacramento shooting
  42. ^ Passmore, Shawnte (April 4, 2022). "Mass Shooting Prompts Worries Over Downtown Safety". CBS Local. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  43. ^ "State Capitals of California: Sacramento". Key to the City. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  44. ^ Brittany Hope [@BrittanyKCRA] (April 4, 2022). "Earlier tonight, this was the community vigil that formed at Cesar Chavez Park" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  45. ^ Brittany Hope [@BrittanyKCRA] (April 4, 2022). "Nearly 20 hours after Sacramento's largest mass shooting, loved ones and community members are continuing to head to Downtown to bring candles, balloons, and flowers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  46. ^ Beam, Adam (April 4, 2022). "California police search for shooters who killed 6, hurt 12". AP News. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  47. ^ Ebrahimji, Alisha (April 4, 2022). "Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says moments of silence won't solve gun violence". CNN. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  48. ^ Martinez, Jeremiah (April 3, 2022). "Pop singers say bus was 'caught in the crossfire' of Sacramento shooting". KRON4. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
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