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

Smiley Martin is the brother of Dandrae Martin. A 2021 letter from the Sacramento County DA's office suggested denying early release.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Smiley Martin, brother to the first suspect arrested Dandrae Martin, has been announced as a second suspect in Sunday's mass shooting in downtown Sacramento.

The shooting along Sacramento's K Street Sunday morning left six people dead and 12 injured.

According to court documents, a letter from the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office to the Board of Parole Hearings on April 29, 2021, suggested denying Smiley Martin's request for early release from prison "as he poses a significant, unreasonable risk of safety to the community."

In the letter, Deputy District Attorney Danielle Abildgaard said Smiley has "displayed a pattern of criminal behavior" his entire adult life as he has committed several felony violations.

Smiley's prior convictions included possessing an assault weapon, stealing electronics from department stores and beating a girlfriend he encouraged to be a prostitute. 

"Inmate Martin has demonstrated repeatedly that he cannot follow the laws, or conditions the court places on him," the letter states. "His history indicates that he will pursue his own personal agenda regardless of the consequences and regulatory restraints placed upon him."

Dana Simas, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), said Smiley Martin was denied parole under the non-violent parole review process in May 2021. He was received by CDCR in January 2018 from Sacramento County with a 10 year sentence for corporal injury and assault.

Simas said Smiley Martin had 508 days of pre-sentencing credits and had a "variety of additional post-sentencing credits," and was released to Sacramento County probation in February 2022.  

Police are also saying Smiley posted a live Facebook video of himself brandishing a handgun hours before the shooting. Authorities are trying to determine whether the weapon seen in the video was used in the shooting, said the official, who was briefed on the investigation but could not discuss details publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe the brothers possessed stolen guns and are working to review financial documents, call records and social media messages to determine how and when they procured weapons, the official said. Authorities have searched several locations in connection with the shooting and the firearms investigation.

According to a press release from the Sacramento Police Department, Smiley was one of many taken to an area hospital with gunshot injuries following Sunday's shooting. He was "quickly identified as a person of interest and has remained under the supervision of an officer at the hospital while his treatment continues."

Smiley was taken into custody Tuesday morning. However, he's still in the hospital. Once he is healthy enough, police say he will be charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun.

Watch more from ABC10: Second Sacramento mass shooting suspect charged with possession of a machine gun

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