Sacramento mass shooting suspect Smiley Martin dies, source says

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Smiley Martin, one of three gunmen charged in the 2022 mass shooting on Sacramento's K Street, died Saturday morning at the Sacramento County Main Jail, his attorney Norman Dawson told ABC10 .

A police source who spoke on condition of anonymity also confirmed Smiley's death on Saturday.

In a previous news release, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said its deputies discovered a 29-year-old inmate unconscious in his cell before sunrise Saturday.

Deputies reportedly attempted to administer first aid, but ultimately called the Sacramento Fire Department. Doctors pronounced the inmate dead around 2:15 a.m.

The sheriff's office said the Sacramento County Coroner's Office will determine the cause of death while the sheriff's office conducts an inmate death investigation.

Smiley, alongside his brother Dandrae Martin and a third suspect, Mtula Payton, last appeared in court in April. The three men were charged with murder in connection with the April 3, 2022, gang-related shooting that left six people dead and 12 injured and shocked the working-class downtown Sacramento neighborhood.

The trial is in the preliminary hearing phase and the next hearing was originally scheduled for August 16. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to an inquiry Saturday.

In a statement, Dawson said he and his team were saddened to learn of the death.

“I was informed of the tragic passing of Mr. Martin early this morning. The Public Defender team representing him is deeply saddened by his unexpected death. The Public Defender, Amanda Benson, and I have been in contact with Prison Command is investigating. “They will likely not provide any details until they conclude this process,” the statement said. “It is very tragic that Mr. Martin died while he was there. fought to defend his innocence during the preliminary hearing. Mr. Martin's defense team extends its deepest condolences to his family, and we are here to support the family moving forward.”

Preliminary hearings began in January and will determine whether there is enough evidence for this case to go to trial. It's unclear how the death will affect the trial.

Sergio Harris, 38, was one of six people killed that night. His cousin was called to the stand to testify in April.

He was with his cousin downtown the night of the shooting, but when defense attorneys asked him questions, he largely did not remember the events that happened, saying he had obtained second-hand information from social networks.

At the April hearing, the prosecution and defense also showed surveillance video of the moments leading up to the shooting. Video shows crowds dispersing just before 2 a.m., around the time Harris said he saw someone brandishing what appeared to be a gun.

Some family members of those killed in the shooting were in the courtroom, wearing shirts with photographs of their loved ones.

In September, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said it would not seek the death penalty for the three suspects, but would instead seek life in prison without the possibility of parole.

► RELATED: Shooting in downtown Sacramento | Who are the victims ?

It was about three fathers raising their young children, a sister driving downtown to pick up her older brother after a night out, a landscaper saving his salary for concert tickets, and a woman living in the street looking for accommodation.

The Sacramento County coroner identified them as: Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21; Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and De'vazia Turner, 29.

Watch more from ABC10: Audio | K Street mass shooting survivor speaks out, new details revealed about Sacramento crime