Sacramento cannabis business security guard shoots 2 burglary suspects; 1 dies

A burglary suspect died and another was hospitalized after they were shot by a security guard at a cannabis warehouse in Sacramento, authorities said.

Sacramento police said they received a report of a burglary at a business along Thys Court, off Florin Perkins Road, just after 4:30 a.m. Friday. They also received other calls about possible gunfire in the same area.

First responders found two people who had been shot. Police said both were suspected burglary suspects.

One of the suspects died at the scene, while the other was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition.

Police said the security guard is cooperating with the investigation. Detectives remained at the scene through the morning.

The shooting has renewed concerns from some cannabis industry workers who say marijuana businesses continue to be frequent targets for thieves.

"It's sad, none of this should have happened," said Matthew Pasqual, operating manager of the Sacramento cannabis business Alpaca Club.

Pasqual, who said he has worked in Sacramento's legal cannabis industry since 2018, said his business has also experienced break-ins and robberies.

"Privately, the industry's been talking about this a long time," Pasqual said.

He argued the city needs to do more to help cannabis businesses prevent crime and improve communication with operators when incidents happen nearby.

"We need their help to attack criminals, and they're not helping us and this is a problem," Pasqual said.

A CBS News Sacramento investigation in 2022 reviewed more than 100 pages of records detailing crimes targeting cannabis businesses in Sacramento.

"But you know what happens with those reports? Nothing," Pasqual said. "The Office of Cannabis Management does nothing with that data."  

Cannabis businesses in California are required to maintain enhanced security measures, including surveillance cameras and secured storage areas. Pasqual said he believes those concerns have not been adequately addressed.

"They keep it private, they don't want to share it, they don't want to talk about all the crime," he said.

Pasqual said his business has invested in artificial intelligence surveillance systems and stopped accepting cash in an effort to reduce risk. But he fears there will be more of these armed heists unless sacramento improves efforts to stop cannabis crooks.

"The number one agriculture product in Sacramento, it's a billion-dollar industry, is cannabis, and Sacramento is neglecting it and letting us get attacked by criminals instead of helping us," Pasqual said.

CBS News Sacramento reached out to city's Office of Cannabis Management for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

No specific details about the business where the shooting happened have been released.