Second victim who died following Elk Grove bar shooting identified; Suspect still at large
A second person who died following a shooting last weekend inside an Elk Grove bar has been identified.
A 34-year-old man, who had been in critical condition since the shooting early Sunday morning, died at the hospital, according to Elk Grove police. He was later identified as Phuc Minh Vo of San Jose.
The shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 at the Z Town Gastro Bar on Elk Grove Florin Road. Officers responding to reports of gunfire found three men suffering from gunshot wounds inside the bar. Officers later learned that a fourth victim, also a man, was able to get to a hospital on his own.
One of those victims — Kim Kha Huynh, 18 — was pronounced dead at the scene. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office identified him earlier this week.
The two surviving victims, ages 26 and 25, have since been released from the hospital, police said.
Investigators are still searching for the suspected gunman, identified earlier this week as 43-year-old Sacramento resident Roderick Randall. Police said Randall should be considered armed and dangerous, and detectives continue to ask for the public's help in locating him.
Randall's girlfriend, 25-year-old Thao Tran, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime. She was booked into jail and is being held without bail.
"He would always have a smile."
Two of the 18-year-old Huynh's closest friends spoke to CBS Sacramento on Thursday, saying they're still in shock over what happened and because a suspect is still on the run.
"As soon as I heard about it, I thought they were lying," said friend Din Win about when he heard of the shooting.
Prosecutors and state prison officials have since released details on Randall's criminal history, which dates back to 2003. Over the years, Randall has served time for various convictions, including four counts of attempted murder, pimping a minor, burglary and providing a child for lewd and lascivious acts.
In 2014, Randall was sentenced to 88 years to life in prison for those attempted murder counts, but he was released early due to criminal justice reform laws in 2019.
Justin Ward, a Sacramento-area criminal defense attorney unrelated to the case, said those laws eliminated the same sentencing for people who are accomplices to murder and attempted murder cases if they never had the intent to kill.
"It's unfortunate that someone who was given a second chance at life decided to waste that opportunity," Ward said.
Now, Huynh's friend Ricky Berwick, along with Win, is left grieving his friend, who was a victim of gun violence. Berwick said he doesn't want his friend "to be forgotten."
"He would always have a smile on him or he would light up the room," Berwick said.
Police said the shooting took place inside the bar, where surveillance footage captured dozens of patrons fleeing as shots were fired. Investigators are still working to determine what led to the violence.