Sacramento shooting: California police arrest second suspect

Brothers Smiley and Dandrae Martin face charges in attack that left six dead and 12 injured

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting in Sacramento that left six dead and 12 injured. AFP

Law enforcement officials arrested a second suspect on Tuesday in connection with the shooting in Sacramento, California that left six dead, police said.

Smiley Martin was taken into custody at a local hospital after he was seriously injured in the shooting. He will be booked for illegal possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun once doctors determine that he is fit for incarceration.

The suspect "was quickly identified as a person of interest and has remained under the supervision of an officer at the hospital while his treatment continues", Sacramento Police said in a statement.

More than 100 shots were fired early on Sunday in downtown Sacramento, the state's capital, creating a chaotic scene with hundreds of people trying desperately to get to safety. In addition to the dead, 11 people were wounded along with Smiley Martin.

A day later, police announced the arrest of his brother, Dandrae Martin, as a “related suspect” on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and being a convict carrying a loaded gun.

Officials did not elaborate on the men's alleged roles in the shooting or if searches were being conducted for additional suspects. Police Chief Kathy Lester said that "multiple" shooters were involved in the massacre.

The Sacramento County coroner identified the deceased as Johntaya Alexander, Melinda Davis, Yamile Martinez-Andrade, Sergio Harris, Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi and De’vazia Turner.

“So we gather here to remember the victims and to commit ourselves to doing all we can to ending the stain of violence, not only in our community but throughout the state, throughout the country, and throughout the world,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said during a vigil on Monday evening.

Police have said that the massacre followed an altercation and asked for the public's help in obtaining videos of that incident that had been posted on social media. The Sacramento Bee newspaper reported that the suspects had been at a nearby nightclub earlier in the evening.

Four of those wounded suffered critical injuries, the Sacramento Fire Department has said. At least seven of the victims had been released from hospitals on Monday.

Detectives found more than 100 expended shell casings at the scene and one stolen handgun that was converted into a weapon capable of automatic gunfire.

Agencies contributed to this report