x
Breaking News
More () »

DA: 100+ shots fired, 3 of 6 dead in Sacramento shootout were in gang dispute | Sacramento Shootout Update

Martin reportedly fired 28 rounds from a Glock 19 handgun and others returned fire until more than 100 shell casings littered the streets.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Newly filed court documents in the downtown Sacramento shooting that killed six people and wounded at least a dozen others reveal that three of the dead had been involved in the gang dispute that led to the massive shootout, with at least one of them firing a weapon.

Documents filed Friday by Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert’s office show that the three deceased men affiliated with gangs were Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32, Devazia Turner, 29, and Sergio Harris, 38.

Turner fired a weapon, but it was unclear if all three fired weapons. Police have said there were at least five suspects in the April 3 shooting.

Two of the suspects — brothers Smiley and Dandrae Martin — were wounded and are hospitalized or in jail. A third suspect, Mtula Payton, 27, remains at large.

In a social media clip posted hours before the shooting, the Martin brothers are seen posing with Hoye-Lucchesi and two handguns and a rifle. In the video, Hoye-Lucchesi and Smiley Martin, 27, talk about going downtown while armed to loiter outside nightclubs and “boast about shooting rival gang members,” according to a 13-page document.

In the video, both Hoye-Lucchesi and Smiley Martin state allegiance to a gang.

Later, surveillance footage from downtown Sacramento April 3 at 1:57 a.m. shows a person next to Smiley Martin pointing in the direction of Payton and Turner, according to the documents. Authorities say both are members of a rival gang, G-Mobb.

Seconds later, Payton and Turner start approaching the corner where the Martin brothers and Hoye-Lucchesi are standing, court papers said. Payton and Turner are joined by Sergio Harris, identified in documents as a member of a gang in Del Paso Heights.

Shortly after 2 a.m., Smiley Martin is seen exchanging gunfire with Devazia Turner, the documents said.

Hoye-Lucchesi, Turner and Harris were killed, along with Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21.

Deputy District Attorney Brad Ng filed the documents to make sure Smiley Martin, who is hospitalized, is not released on bail once he is booked into Sacramento County Main Jail. Authorities plan to charge him with being a felon in possession of a handgun and carrying a machine gun that night.

Martin reportedly fired 28 rounds from a Glock 19 handgun and others returned fire until more than 100 shell casings littered the streets, according to the court documents.

Dandre Martin, 26, is in jail on weapons-related charges but has not been charged with homicide.

WHO HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN SHOOTING?

Sacramento police say there were five shooters and have identified three of them.

Dandrae Martin, 26, has been identified by police as a shooter. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon but prosecutors have only charged him with a gun possession offense.

► RELATED: Who is Dandrae Martin? The 1st arrest in connection to Sacramento's deadly mass shooting

Smiley Martin, 27, was seriously injured in the shooting and arrested in the hospital on suspicion of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun.

►  RELATED: Who is Smiley Martin? The 2nd suspect arrested in connection to Sacramento's deadly mass shooting

Both brothers have felony criminal records that include convictions for violent attacks on women they encouraged to work as prostitutes, according to prosecutors and court records.

Smiley Martin was released from prison under supervision of probation officers in February after serving less than half his 10-year sentence because of voter-approved changes to state law that lessened the punishment for some felonies and provided a chance for earlier release.

A chance at freedom even sooner was rejected in May 2021 after prosecutors wrote to the Parole Board citing Martin's lengthy rap sheet and said he “clearly has little regard for human life and the law.”

On April 12th, Sacramento police said evidence gathered so far indicates that Mtula Payton, 27, was among the suspected shooters. Payton is being sought on multiple felony warrants, including for gun charges and domestic violence.

A 31-year-old man was arrested near the scene of the shootout with a gun that police do not think was fired during the melee. 

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE SHOOTING?

Police have yet to reveal what led to the shootout, but a 15-minute video posted live on Facebook earlier in the night by Smiley Martin showed him brandishing a large handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The video posted about four hours before the shooting was believed to be shot in a parking lot in north Sacramento.

Smiley and Dandrae Martin were in the video, along with Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, one of the men who died in the shooting, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe some of the men involved in the shooting were members of the a street gang, the official said. At least one of the victims had been linked by law enforcement to another gang, according to the official.

In the video, Smiley Martin repeatedly waved a handgun at the camera, saying at one point he was going to a club but didn’t have identification, the official said. He also spoke of an affiliation with a street gang and Hoye-Lucchesi could be heard making veiled threats against someone else, according to the official.

At other points in the video, it appeared the handgun was tucked in Martin’s waistband, the official said.

The video also showed local police officers drive nearby and call out to the group to ask if they had seen a child nearby, the official said. The men responded they hadn’t before the officer drove off.

Sacramento police spokesman Chad Lewis said officers were aware of video that included three of the people involved in the shooting. He said the video showed people waving guns and, at some point, a police cruiser rolled up.

WHAT TYPE OF GUNS WERE FIRED?

Police have yet to reveal what type of weapons were used in the shooting, but they have said more than 100 rounds were fired, which is based on the number of shell casings recovered.

Witnesses provided more than 200 videos and photos and tips that have helped investigators, police said. The explosion of gunfire heard on videos posted online had the ring of semi-automatic or automatic weapons.

A stolen handgun found at the scene had been converted to a weapon capable of automatic gunfire. Police were trying to determine if it was used in the shootout.

Smiley Martin faces a charge of possessing a machine gun, though police have said nothing about whether that weapon was used in the shooting.

The official who spoke on condition of anonymity said police were trying to figure out if the gun Martin was seen sporting in the video was used in the attack.

Police also seized a handgun during a search of three homes after the shooting.

WHO ARE THE VICTIMS?

►  RELATED: Downtown Sacramento Shootout | Who are the victims?

They were three fathers raising their young children, a sister driving downtown to pick up her older sibling from a night out, a landscaper saving her pay for concert tickets and a woman living on the streets in search of housing.

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.

Of the 12 people wounded, at least two remained hospitalized Friday.

Police have said Smiley Martin will be booked at the Sacramento County jail after he is released from the hospital.

Read More from ABC10: 

Get Updates In Your Inbox: Sign up now for the Daily Blend Newsletter for local headlines, weather, tips and even something to make you smile.

► ABC10 On Demand: Get access to our local news, live programming and weather with the free ABC10 app for Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

Before You Leave, Check This Out