SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Authorities have identified a third suspect in a mass shooting that killed six people and injured a dozen others in downtown Sacramento on April 3.
Based on the evidence recovered, it appears Mtula Payton, 27, was among at least five people who opened fire on K Street, the Sacramento Police Department said in a statement.
Payton remained at large Tuesday evening.
“Detectives have made multiple attempts to locate and arrest him while exhausting all leads,” police said.
Payton is also wanted on felony warrants, including domestic violence and gun charges. Police said the domestic violence warrant stemmed from an incident at a relative’s home on April 2. A woman told officers Payton had injured her. Officers did not have contact with Payton at the scene but submitted a report documenting the incident.
“We are examining all aspects of this incident to understand it as thoroughly as possible,” police said.
In addition to Payton, police have identified Smiley Martin and Dandrae Martin as suspects. Detectives believe the shooting was triggered by an altercation between two groups of men affiliated with local street gangs. One gun was recovered at the scene, police said, adding that the others were apparently removed before officers arrived.
“Our goal is to conduct as thorough an investigation as possible, so that the district attorney has all the information she needs to present cases that will bring justice to the families of the victims and our entire community,” said Sacramento police Chief Kathy Lester. “The investigation has moved very quickly in this first week, and it will continue until we can present prosecutors and the public with a complete picture of this terrible crime.”
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the Sacramento police dispatch center at 916-808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.
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