A wounded man arrested in connection with a Sacramento shooting in which six people died and a dozen more were injured more was released from prison a few weeks ago and was rejected for earlier release after prosecutors argued he “clearly has little regard for human life,” the Associated Press reports. Smiley Martin, 27, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun. Hours before Sunday’s attack, Martin had posted a live Facebook video of himself brandishing a handgun.
Police were checking on whether a stolen handgun found at the crime scene was used in the massacre. It had been converted to a weapon capable of automatic gunfire. Martin and his brother were among those wounded when gunfire erupted near the state Capitol at about 2 a.m. Sunday as bars were closing. More than 100 shots were unleashed in rapid-fire succession as hundreds of people scrambled to find safety. Authorities were trying to determine if a street fight outside a nightclub may have led to the shooting. His brother, Dandrae Martin, 26, was arrested as a “related suspect” on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and being a convict carrying a loaded gun. Investigators believe both brothers had stolen guns. A 31-year-old man who was carrying a handgun immediately after the shooting was arrested Tuesday on a weapons charge, though his gun was not believed to be used in the crime. Smiley Martin has a criminal history dating to 2013. He was released from prison in February after serving two years of a 10-year sentence for punching a girlfriend, dragging her from her home by her hair and whipping her with a belt.