Two brothers arrested in connection with Sacramento mass shooting that left six people dead
Both suspects currently under arrest are brothers, police say
A second suspect has been arrested after the mass shooting in Sacramento, California that left six people dead over the weekend.
The Sacramento Police Department said in a press release that the suspect - 27-year-old Smiley Martin - was found at the scene of the shooting early on Sunday with “serious injuries from gunfire” and was taken to a hospital in the area.
The statement said the suspect was “quickly identified as a person of interest and has remained under the supervision of an officer at the hospital while his treatment continues”.
Smiley Martin is the brother of the first suspect arrested, 26-year-old Dandrae Martin, who is set to appear in court on Tuesday. Police say he was booked on assault and illegal firearm possession charges.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said in a statement that Dandrae Martin has not been charged with homicide and that she believes that police will arrest more people.
The deadly shooting also left 12 people wounded and is one of more than 120 mass shootings in the US this year and one of at least ten shootings taking place over the weekend, CNN reported.
“The investigation is highly complex involving many witnesses, videos of numerous types and significant physical evidence,” Ms Schubert said. “This is an ongoing investigation and we anticipate more arrests in this case.”
Online jail records show that Dandrae Martin is being held without bail.
A vigil for the victims of the shooting was held on Monday night. Sacramento County’s coroner identified the three women killed as Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21. The three men killed were Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and Devazia Turner, 29.
Sacramento officials and residents shared their frustrations at the repeated shootings in the city.
A speaker who said he was a cousin of one of the victims but didn’t share his name said that “the last time we had a mass shooting we did the same thing – sat out here, held up our candles, talk about the police are here for us now, the public officials are here for us now”.
“How are they here for us when we are sitting doing the same damn thing again? The same thing,” he said. “So who’s going to stop it?”
The shooting took place early on Sunday shortly after 2am in a downtown area not far from the California State Capitol. Police have said that a social media video appears to show an altercation shortly before the shooting.
“We are currently working to determine what, if any, relation these events have to the shooting,” police have said.
Law enforcement found more than 100 shell casings and discovered at least three cars and three buildings that had been struck by gunfire.
“There were a lot of shots fired that night, and hence the complexity of the investigation,” Police Chief Katherine Lester told KCRA.
She has said that there were multiple people who discharged firearms and that a large fight took place before the shooting began. She said on Sunday that a stolen handgun was found at the scene, among hundreds of pieces of evidence.
After serving search warrants at three homes, police found at least one other handgun. The authorities have said that they have been sent more than 100 videos or photos through their tip submission portal.