Second suspect arrested in Sacramento mass shooting is brother of man arrested Monday

Sacramento police have arrested a second suspect related to Sunday’s mass shooting downtown, announcing early Tuesday that the brother of the man arrested Monday is now in custody for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun.

Smiley Martin, 27, is the brother of Dandrae Martin, who was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail Monday on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, police said.

The mass shooting killed six and wounded 12, and police said Smiley Martin was one of the wounded who was found at the scene near 10th and K streets with “serious injuries” and taken to a hospital for treatment.

“Smiley 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,” police said in an announcement early Tuesday. “Based on information developed during this investigation, Smiley Martin was taken into custody by Sacramento Police Department detectives on April 5, 2022.

“Once Smiley Martin’s medical care has been completed and he is determined to be fit for incarceration, he will be booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun.”

Online Sacramento Superior Court filings show criminal cases dating back years for individuals named Smiley Martin, but there appear to be different individuals with variations of that name and online records no longer provide personal identifying information online in Sacramento’s courts.

Smiley Martin posted a 15-minute Facebook Live video Saturday night, hours before the shooting, in which he appeared to be brandishing a semiautomatic handgun toward the camera at times. The authenticity of the video, which has since been removed, was confirmed by a law enforcement source.

Dandrae Martin also has a criminal background in Riverside County and the Phoenix area, records show.

He appeared in a cage in a jailhouse courtroom and spoke only once to confirm his name to Superior Court Commissioner Ken Brody.

“Yeah,” Martin said, when asked if that was his name.

The Public Defender’s Office declared an overload, and the case was assigned for now to lawyer Linda Parisi, who said there would be a decision later on which defense attorney would represent Martin and other defendants.

After court, Parisi described her client as “very somber, very somber.”

“You saw in court, this is very serious,” she said.

Dandrae Martin will appear in court again April 26.

Smiley Martin, 27, posted a 15-minute Facebook Live video hours before the shooting in which he appeared to be brandishing a semiautomatic handgun toward the camera at times. The authenticity of the video, which has since been removed, was confirmed by a law enforcement source.

Law enforcement officials are investigating whether the shooting was sparked by a fight outside a nightclub at 2 a.m. Sunday as downtown bars were closing, and say they believe the melee may have included gunfights in the streets near the state Capitol.

Police have recovered more than 100 spent shell casings, as well as “a stolen handgun which has now been inspected and found to have been converted to a weapon capable of automatic gunfire,” police said.

“Investigators continue to examine evidence, contact witnesses, and interview involved parties to gain a complete understanding of the incident,” police said. “As these processes occur, different and/or additional charges may apply. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office will be reviewing all evidence to determine appropriate charges.”

Police also said in Tuesday’s announcement that it had received more than 170 videos and photos related to the shooting that were sent in by the public.

This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 6:21 AM with the headline "Second suspect arrested in Sacramento mass shooting is brother of man arrested Monday."