SACRAMENTO, Cal. (Washington Insider Magazine) – Authorities say three accused gang members have now been booked on multiple charges of murder in connection with a mass shooting in downtown Sacramento, California, previous month which left a dozen people injured and 6 people dead.
Officials reported that two of the alleged gunmen have been apprehended, while the third is still actively searched by police.
Mtula Payton, 27, Smiley Martin, 27, and his 26-year-old brother, Dandrae Martin, were identified as the suspected criminals by Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, reported ABC NEWS.
Since the incident, Dandrae and Smiley Martin have been held in custody.
Payton is still on the loose, and Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester says a squad of cops is working around the clock to find him and bring him to justice.
The three detainees are charged with 3 counts of murder in the deaths of “innocent bystanders” Johntaya Alexander, 21, Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21, and Melinda Davis, 57, according to Schubert.
The three other victims killed in the incident, according to Schubert, were Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32, Devazia Turner, 29, and Sergio Harris, 38.
According to Schubert, the investigation is still ongoing, and further counts, including attempted murder counts, are expected to be brought.
On April 3, about 2 a.m., a gunshot occurred near the junction of 10th and K Streets in Sacramento’s famous nightlife area, only blocks from the State Capitol Building. 70 to 80 individuals were in the area of the gunshots, according to Lester, and several were killed in the crossfire.
When Turner, Harris, or Hoye-Lucchesi were shot, they were identified as carrying weapons, according to Schubert.
Authorities believe there seem to be a total of 5 shooters, according to Lester.
Schubert would not indicate whether Harris, Hoye-Lucchesi, or Turner were among those who opened fire.
At the shooting site, she added, more than 100 bullet casings were retrieved.
Smiley Payton is charged with being in possession of a fully automatic 9mm gun with an extended magazine, according to Schubert.
The Payton and Martin brothers are accused of murder and also being convicted felons in possession of firearms. Because they’re all accused of several killings, they’re all facing capital murder enhancements, which may lead to the death sentence, according to Schubert.
Payton was out on $50,000 bond at the time of the incident, according to Schubert, after being arrested in January 2020 for allegedly being a felon in possession of a handgun.
More than 40 investigators were involved in the probe, with 12 of them working full-time, according to Lester. The inquiry is being assisted by the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
