Police have announced a second arrest in a recent mass shooting in Sacramento, California. Smiley Martin, 27, was among the 12 injured, but he is now facing firearms charges, cops said Tuesday. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment for serious gunshot wounds, but authorities expect to send him to a local lockup once he is well enough.
“Smiley Martin was quickly identified as a person of interest and has remained under the supervision of an officer at the hospital while his treatment continues,” police said in a press release. “Based on information developed during this investigation, Smiley Martin was taken into custody by Sacramento Police Department detectives on April 5, 2022.”
The authorities wrote that Smiley Martin will be booked on two charges: possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun.
Officers identified Smiley Martin as the brother of first suspect Dandrae Martin, 26, who was already booked for assault with a firearm and for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Neither of the Martin brothers is currently accused of homicide, though police have said that more charges could be pending.
Six people were killed when a slew of gunshots went off early Sunday around 10th and K Streets. The Sacramento County Coroner’s office identified the slain victims as follows:
- Johntaya Alexander, 21
- Melinda Davis, 57
- Sergio Harris, 38
- Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32
- Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21
- Devazia Turner, 29
Johntaya, who was known as “JoJo,” was heading out to pick up her sister, their father John Alexander said.
“My baby was just starting life,” he said, telling KCRA his daughter got her own place less than six months ago.
Davis was homeless and was known to sleep on the sidewalk near the location of the shooting, city Councilmember Katie Valenzuela said, according to KOVR. Local non-profit organization Loaves and Fishes said Davis sometimes used its services to “find respite from the trauma of living on the streets of our city.”
“Together we mourn the loss of her life along with 5 others and hold on to hope that those injured recover quickly,” they said. “Out of respect for Melinda and her family, we will not be offering any further information about her.”
Local man Eddie Navarro told KXTV he often walked past Davis at 10th and J Street. A freelance photographer, he said he had his camera with him one day when she asked him to take her picture.
He did. Navarro told the television station the request was common request from homeless individuals, many of whom said that they did not “want to be forgotten.”
“She’s always been kind,” he said. “She’s just a face that you’re gonna miss if you’re a part of midtown, and you walk through there every day, you’re just gonna kind of miss her.”
“My son was a very vivacious young man,” Sergio’s mother Pamela Harris‘ told KCRA. “Fun to be around, liked to party, smiling all the time. Don’t bother people. For this to happen is crazy. I’m just to the point right now, I don’t know what to do. I don’t even feel like this is real. I feel like this is a dream.”
Joshua’s mother Sherilyn Hoye said she learned about her son’s death by seeing him on the ground in a video posted to social media.
“He was bright and loving,” she told KOVR. “As a little kid growing up, he was very protective of me always, even as a kid.”
Joshua was a father of five girls and one boy, each younger than 9 years old.
“We’re all in shock, still in shock,” Martinez-Andrade’s father Frank Gonzales said.
A GoFundMe to raise money for her funeral expenses gained $6,370 toward an $18,000 goal as of Tuesday.
Turner was a father of four children.
“I’m really hurt. I only have one son,” his mother Penelope Scott told KCRA. “One, only one. I got three daughters but one son, and he’s gone. He’s never coming back. What hurts the most is they took a great person out of this world. He didn’t deserve that.”
Cops said they found more than 100 spent shell casings at the scene and a stolen handgun which had allegedly been converted so it could fire automatically.
The investigation is ongoing. Cops have asked that pictures or videos from around the shooting area be sent to the department at this link, or via the QR code in the tweet below.
[Screenshot via KTLA]