SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A suspect linked to a 2022 mass shooting in the state capital died in his California jail cell over the weekend, authorities and his legal representative confirmed. The 29-year-old man, identified as Smiley Martin, was facing trial on three felony charges connected to the April 3 shooting in Sacramento that claimed six lives and left 12 others injured.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, jail deputies discovered Martin unresponsive during a routine cell check at around 2:15 a.m. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death will be determined by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office, pending notification of next of kin.
Martin’s attorney, Norman Dawson, expressed that his client was asserting his innocence during the preliminary hearing process at the time of his passing. The April shooting in downtown Sacramento involved multiple gunmen associated with gangs, resulting in chaos as people fled the area near the state Capitol building in the early hours of the morning.
In addition to Martin, his brother Dandrae Martin was also detained as a “related suspect” on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a loaded firearm as a convict. The incident unfolded as bars and clubs were closing, with gunfire erupting and causing widespread panic among patrons seeking safety.
Law enforcement officials disclosed that Dandrae Martin had posted a live video of himself holding a handgun hours before the shooting occurred. Another individual, Mtula Payton, faced charges in connection to the mass shooting, adding complexity to the ongoing investigation into the tragic events that unfolded that night.