A 29-year-old man suspected of involvement in a 2022 mass shooting in Sacramento, California that left six people dead was found dead in his jail cell over the weekend, his lawyer confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday.
Smiley Martin, who was awaiting trial on three felony charges in connection with the April 3, 2022, shooting, died early Saturday morning, his public defender, Norman Dawson, said in a written statement to Fox News Digital.
“It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Mr. Martin, who maintained his innocence throughout his preliminary hearing,” the statement said.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office did not release the identity of the inmate who died but said in a statement posted to social media that a 29-year-old inmate died while in custody at the Sacramento County Jail around 2:15 a.m. Saturday.
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Smiley Allen Martin has been charged with three felony counts, including murder, in connection with the deadly mass shooting that occurred on April 3, 2022, in Sacramento, California. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via The Associated Press)
The sheriff’s office said the man’s name will be released once the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office determines the cause of death and next of kin has been notified. The sheriff’s office said the death investigation is ongoing.
Jail officers found the inmate unresponsive during a cell check, according to the sheriff’s office. Officers immediately attempted life-saving measures, and medical staff and firefighters responded, but the inmate was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
Martin was awaiting trial on charges of murder, felon in possession of a firearm and possessing and transporting a machine gun in connection with the April 3, 2022 shooting.
Emergency workers walk near the scene of an apparent mass shooting on April 3, 2022, in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
More than 100 shots rang out in a busy area near the state Capitol at about 2 a.m. as bar patrons gathered in the street at closing time. Witness video posted to social media showed gunfire ringing out for at least 45 seconds, with people screaming in fear and running to escape the bullets.
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Three women and three men were shot dead and 12 others, including two suspects, were injured in the shooting, which police said involved at least five gunmen.
Police investigators place evidence markers on 10th Street, the scene of a mass shooting on April 3, 2022, in Sacramento. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via The Associated Press)
Martin, who was 27 at the time, was arrested while hospitalized with a gunshot wound and later charged.
Martin’s brother, D’Andrey Martin, 26, was also arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He sustained minor injuries in the shooting.
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A third man, Mutula Payton, has also been charged in connection to the shooting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
