Police investigating a mass shooting in Sacramento, California, over the weekend took a third man into custody on Tuesday a but said he was not accused of taking part in the shooting.
“In the course of investigating the multiple homicides of April 3, 2022, detectives identified a man who was seen carrying a gun in the immediate aftermath of the shooting,” the Sacramento Police Department said in a statement.
“Detectives recovered a handgun and arrested 31-year-old Daviyonne Dawson late Monday on charges of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.”
Police said Dawson is not charged with crimes directly related to the shootings.
Two brothers Dandrae Martin and Smiley Martin were arrested in connection with the shooting earlier.
Smiley Martin, 27, was arrested on Tuesday while hospitalized with bullet wounds from the shooting in California’s capital.
Martin was released from prison on probation in February after serving his term for punching a girlfriend, dragging her from her home by her hair and whipping her with a belt, prosecutors said.
Martin may have been released sooner, but a Parole Board rejected his bid for early release in May after prosecutors said the 2017 felony assault along with convictions for possessing an assault weapon and thefts posed “a significant, unreasonable risk of safety to the community.”
“Martin’s criminal conduct is violent and lengthy,” a Sacramento prosecutor wrote in a letter obtained by AP. “Martin has committed several felony violations and clearly has little regard for human life and the law.”
More than 100 shots were fired in rapid-fire succession early Sunday near the state Capitol, creating a chaotic scene with hundreds of panicked people trying desperately to reach safety. Twelve people were wounded by gunfire, including the Martin brothers.
Dandrae Martin, 26, was arrested Monday as a “related suspect” on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and being a convict carrying a loaded gun. He was not seriously wounded and made a brief appearance Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court wearing orange jail scrubs.
Smiley Martin will be booked for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun when his condition improves enough for him to be jailed, a police statement said.
Police were trying to determine if a stolen handgun found at the crime scene that had been converted to a weapon capable of automatic gunfire was used in the massacre.
Smiley Martin was taken to the hospital from the crime scene, police said.
“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,” the statement said.
Detectives and SWAT team members also found a handgun during searches of three area homes.
The shooting happened at about 2 a.m. Sunday as bars were closing and patrons filled the streets. The three women and three men killed included a father of four, a young woman who wanted to be a social worker, a man described as the life of the party, and a homeless woman.
The Sacramento County coroner identified the women killed as Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21. The three men were Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and De’vazia Turner, 29.
Police were investigating whether the shooting was connected with a street fight that broke out just before gunfire erupted. Several people could be seen fighting in videos on a street lined with an upscale hotel, nightclubs, and bars when gunshots sent people scattering.
Officers were reviewing more than 100 videos and photos sent by witnesses for possible use as evidence, police said.
District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert noted Monday that Dandrae Martin was not arrested on suspicion of homicide but said more arrests were expected.
Dandrae Martin, who was held without bail, was freed from an Arizona prison in 2020 after serving just over 1.5 years for violating probation in separate cases involving a felony conviction for aggravated assault in 2016 and a conviction on a marijuana charge in 2018. Court records show he pleaded guilty to punching, kicking, and choking a woman in a hotel room when she refused to work for him as a prostitute.
Defense lawyer Linda Parisi said she doesn’t know enough about the case yet and whether she will seek Dandrae Martin’s release will depend on whether prosecutors bring stiffer charges.
“If it turns out that the evidence demonstrates that this was mere presence at a scene that certainly argues more for a release,” Parisi said. “If it shows some more aggressive conduct then it would argue against it. But we don’t know that yet.”
It wasn’t clear if Smiley Martin had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Four of those wounded suffered critical injuries, the Sacramento Fire Department has said. At least seven of the victims had been released from hospitals by Monday.
At the scene where the chaos erupted, memorials with candles and flowers grew on the same sidewalks where people had run in terror as others lay on the ground writhing in pain.
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