4 years after Sacramento mass shooting, families still grieve as trial nears

Friday marks four years since the worst mass shooting in Sacramento's history.

On April 3, 2022, a mass shooting on K Street left six people dead and 12 others shot. It instantly became one of the darkest days in California's capital city.

"I think this year is heavier than past years because we're finally starting trial," said Leia Schenk, the founder of the anti-violence group Empact.

Schenk says the families of those killed are still struggling.

"They grieve just as much today as they did that day, and so it doesn't get any better," she said.

Since then, Sacramento police say they've been successful in reducing these types of violent crimes.

"We focused our resources where violence was highest," Police Chief Kathy Lester said.

Lester noted that the number of homicides has fallen 22%, shootings have dropped 25%, and more than 4,200 guns were seized in over the last four years.

"We knew that getting guns out of the hands of people that were not supposed to have them had to be a top priority," Lester said.

Despite those successes, there were still 131 people shot in Sacramento in 2025.

"It's still far too many people that are the victims of gun violence," Lester said. "I want to make sure that that's clear. There's still a lot of work to do."

Schenk is urging city leaders to take more preventative measures to reduce violence.

"It's frustrating to me because I don't see a decline," Schenk said.

She's continuing to work with families as they prepare for the murder trial of the two mass-shooting suspects, which is set to begin later this month.

Smiley Martin and his brother, Dandrae Martin, along with another man, Mtula Payton, all faced charges in the shooting. Smiley Martin died from methadone toxicity while in custody back in 2024.

"When this is all over with, and court is over, and the judge decides whatever he decides, there's still no winners in this, and that's the heartbreaking piece," Schenk said.

The City of Sacramento is currently facing a $66 million budget deficit, and there's concern that some violence prevention efforts and police positions could be cut beginning in July.