The suspect in Sacramento mass shooting faced the capital city’s Superior Court for the first time last Friday. Smiley Martin, 27, appeared before the court with a bandaged left arm after being treated and hospitalized for gunshot wounds he had incurred in the bloody incident on April 3.
According to ABC News, Martin did not enter a plea during the court session and had merely nodded when the judge asked him to confirm his name. Prosecutors said the suspect was an alleged gang member who had a “lifetime commitment” to violence, evidenced by the 28 bullets he had unleashed during the early morning bloodshed that left six people dead.
Martin is facing charges of possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm by a felon. Police have identified him as one of the five people who fired shots into a crowded intersection in downtown Sacramento along with his brother Dandrae Martin, Devazia Turner, 29, and Mtula Payton, 27. Both brothers have been apprehended and are currently in jail while Payton is still at large. Turner was one of the fatalities during the shooting.
Authorities confirmed the brothers fired the guns, however they have not yet been charged with murder. Both Smiley and Dandrae are facing charges related to unlawful possession of firearms and assault with a deadly weapon. Legal representative to Martin, Public Defender Meghan Cunningham refused to comment on the case.
“We have a lot of reports coming that we have to see before we can say anything,” Cunningham said.
Investigators have been going through some 200 videos from the scene during the violent incident to have a clearer picture of how things went awry. Police were able to recover more than 100 shell casings from the scene.
Videos captured two groups of men slowly walking towards each other with one side including brothers Smiley and Dandrae while the other group had Payton and Turner. Almost all men in the video were identified and affiliated with gangs. Based on obtained videos, police said Smiley unloaded about 28 bullets.
In a 13-page motion filed by prosecutors, District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert described Smiley as a dangerous and unrepentant gang member. Having had prior convictions that include coercing a woman into prostitution and beating her mercilessly with a belt, Smiley was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released in February after having served only less than half of his sentence since he had accumulated enough lock-up credits that enabled him to walk free sooner. Smiley is being held without bail and was ordered by Sacramento Superior Court Commissioner Ken Brody to return to court on Tuesday along with his brother.
